Sermons
Rescuing the Righteous
Rescuing the Righteous
2 Pet. 2:4-9
Introduction:
1. When we find ourselves in a desperate situation, in an emergency, we may call 911. Sometimes, even before we make that call we call the person closest to us.
2. They are our emergency contact, the person that we call when we don’t know what else to do. We need to be rescued!
3. This passage tells us that God knows how to rescue the godly. He rescued Noah. He rescued Lot. He can rescue you.
4. So, if you are overwhelmed with the difficulties of life, if you find yourself in desperation, the Lord is the one you need to call on. He is your 911 emergency contact.
Discussion:
I. Sometimes we do not understand the nature of the emergency.
A. Both Noah and Lot acknowledged that it was a spiritual battle.
1. Noah preached righteousness.
a. Gen. 6 describes the corruption that led to the flood. Read 6:5-9.
b. From this description we understand that the problem was bigger than any
one sin.
1) “Every intent of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually.”
2) The breakdown seems to have been perpetuated by the people of God
being influenced by the people of men (6:1-4).
c. As a preacher of righteousness Noah was going against the tide.
2. Lot is said to have been “oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men.”
a. The incidents associated with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah seem to
be the culminating point of this oppression.
b. It would appear that the homosexual conduct of Sodom and Gomorrah marked
a level of depravity that was intolerable.
c. Even the angels sent by God to address the situation found themselves
surrounded and in danger of being assaulted/raped by the citizens of Sodom
(Gen. 19:4).
d. And so, Lot found himself oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled
men. It was a spiritual emergency. It was not just about this incident but about
people pursing an evil course.
B. Peter recognized the battle was more global than just involving a particular situation.
A car accident is an emergency, especially so if we are in it, but a pandemic of sin is
a larger emergency and calls for more long term measures for a rescue to take
place.
1. Let’s not be so focused on a particular emergency that we miss the larger more
destructive one.
2. We may become focused on our personal sickness, which is indeed a life
threatening emergency, but miss the cause of that sickness. We are born
outside the Garden of Eden. Sin and destruction is the global issue and not just
the immediate illness.
3. That the issue before Peter is “bigger” than any immediate issue is evident when
he mentions that “God did not spare angels when they sinned.” He has a “big
picture” view that encompasses angels, Noah, Lot and his readers of the first
century and us.
C. The rescue that he is talking about involves God rescuing us from sin and its
consequences.
1. Consequences illustrated in the destruction of the flood.
2. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
3. The reserving of angels in pits of darkness.
4. Keeping the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment.
5. In 1:4 he speaks of the faithful as “having escaped the corruption that is in the
world by lust.”
D. This helps define the nature of the emergency for us.
II. How would Peter help us to respond?
A. He reminds us of the source of our emergency information (2 Pet. 1:16-21).
1. God has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).
a. This again is reflective of the nature of the emergency.
b. It is a matter of life.
c. It is a matter of godliness.
d. God has granted us everything we need. Often we speak of this passage in
regard to the completeness of the revelation of God. God’s revelation is
complete, but the point is that God has given us everything we need to
respond to this emergency.
2. It is not some cleverly devised tale (1:16-18).
a. Peter recalls the validation of heaven at the transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8).
“We heard the utterance” from heaven, he says.
b. His conclusion: “We have the prophetic word made more sure.”
c. Pay attention to this word.
d. It has come through men, but it is from God.
3. Notice the absoluteness with which he speaks of this. When you call 911 you do
not want a tentative and uncertain voice on the other end of the line. You need
solid words, words that provide hope. Words that are firmly grounded in truth!
B. He warns us against false and misleading information (2 Pet. 2:1-3).
1. Predators are out there. Their objective is to take advantage of the vulnerable
when they are in an emergency situation. When a hurricane goes through
predators try to take advantage of people.
2. “In their greed they will exploit you.”
3. Peter uses the example of Balaam who “loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2
Pet. 2:15). He was hired to curse the people of God (Num. 22:1ff). Read 2 Pet.
2:17ff.
4. Many will follow their sensuality. This is the way of the world (1 Pet. 4:3ff).
Paul tells Timothy, “The time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for
themselves teachers in accordance with the own desires, and will turn away
their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).
5. Judgment will come upon them (2 Pet. 2:3b).
C. He calls on us to add to our faith the things that assure us of entrance into the
eternal kingdom (the ultimate escape from the corruption of the world) (1:4-11).
1. We are not going to examine each of these in detail, lest we loose the force of
what he is saying by a narrow focus.
2. Observe the direction of all these things. They stand in contrast to the “sensual
conduct of unprincipled men.”
3. We must be diligent (vs. 10-11).
4. But in this way we enter the kingdom, escaping the corruption of the world. Not
that we are dependent upon our own achievement for “it will be abundantly
supplied to you.”
5. There are things that we need to do in this emergency, but God has granted
everything that we need. He is the power behind our rescue.
D. He assures us that the deliverance is coming (2 Pet. 3:1ff).
1. When you are in an emergency situation you need to know that relief is coming.
2. You need to know what to do until it arrives.
3. Help is on the way (3-10).
4. Here is what you need to do (11-18).
a. Be holy (v. 11).
b. Be diligent (v. 14).
c. Be on your guard (v. 17).
d. Grow (v. 18).
Conclusion:
1. God rescues the righteous.
2. He gives us the necessary information and assures us of the course of procedure that we need to follow.
3. He warns us of listening to false information.
4. He assures us He is one His way, but for now we need to be holy, be diligent, be on our guard and grow.
- 7-12-2020-Wayne-Ga ... -the-Righteous.mp3 (8.04 MB)
- Rescuing_the_Righteous.pdf (75.98 kB)
