WEBVTT 00:00:04.533 --> 00:00:05.200 Amen. 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:06.000 Thank you. McCoy. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:08.400 And you know, I said he stepped up to lead. 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:09.800 Tiffany did just as much leading. 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:11.132 So not to miss you. Tiffany. 00:00:11.132 --> 00:00:15.233 Sorry about that is a team effort and I'm grateful for that. 00:00:15.233 --> 00:00:34.765 Like I said, we are going to wrap up the book of First Peter today around the theme of finishing well, a lot of times people look at those last few verses at the end of a epistle and the end of the at the end of a letter in the New Testament, and those kind of seem like throwaway person, verses. 00:00:34.765 --> 00:00:36.633 He mentions a few random people. 00:00:36.633 --> 00:00:42.732 He talks about giving a kiss or a hug, and I wrote this letter with my own hand and whatever. 00:00:42.732 --> 00:00:43.533 We don't want to do that. 00:00:43.533 --> 00:00:46.000 We don't want to just throw away these verses. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:49.765 Proverbs 30 verse five says, every word of God proves true. 00:00:49.765 --> 00:00:52.165 He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 00:00:52.165 --> 00:01:00.299 We want to count every word as useful, so we want to finish the book well so that we can finish well. 00:01:00.299 --> 00:01:11.965 In fact, a friend of mine when I started in seminary this was in Phoenix 20 years ago now, and most of us students were pretty green. 00:01:11.965 --> 00:01:14.832 Nobody wanted to hear anything from us, I can promise you that. 00:01:14.832 --> 00:01:20.365 But one of us, one of the guys I got to know pretty well, was already serving as a pastor in a church right down the road from us. 00:01:20.365 --> 00:01:22.266 We started going to church there. 00:01:22.266 --> 00:01:25.365 Great guy, really smart, really sharp. 00:01:26.266 --> 00:01:31.500 And over the course of those years together, I remember some of the conversations we would have. 00:01:31.500 --> 00:01:38.965 And one time in particular, you'd just seen a well-known pastor make some very poor public decisions, and he said, you know what, John? 00:01:38.965 --> 00:01:40.700 And here he is a very young pastor. 00:01:40.700 --> 00:01:51.465 Still, every passing year, my prayers change from God help me to be successful, to help me to be faithful. 00:01:51.500 --> 00:01:51.933 Yes. 00:01:51.933 --> 00:01:54.965 I want to honor him and do my job well and serve people well. 00:01:54.965 --> 00:01:57.766 But I really want to finish well. 00:01:57.766 --> 00:02:07.799 I want to be faithful to the end and not get caught up in the trappings of what we might say is success, and yet not finish well. 00:02:07.799 --> 00:02:12.133 And so, as we're sliding into the end of first Peter, that's the theme we're going to talk about today. 00:02:12.133 --> 00:02:13.133 How do you finish? 00:02:13.133 --> 00:02:14.566 Well, we want to finish the book. 00:02:14.566 --> 00:02:16.466 Well, we want to finish our lives. 00:02:16.466 --> 00:02:18.633 Will. 00:02:18.633 --> 00:02:26.966 But the key statement I'm going to repeat over and over again, if you want to finish well, live your days well. 00:02:26.966 --> 00:02:29.932 How you live now determines how you finish. 00:02:29.932 --> 00:02:32.099 Live well now, to finish well later. 00:02:32.099 --> 00:02:36.699 And the reason that's important is you actually don't know where the finish line is. 00:02:36.699 --> 00:02:38.432 We think it's somewhere out there. 00:02:38.432 --> 00:02:42.466 And for some of us, we think it's a little closer than it used to be. 00:02:42.466 --> 00:02:44.066 But you don't know. 00:02:44.066 --> 00:02:49.000 So if you want to guarantee to finish well, make sure you're living well day after day. 00:02:50.733 --> 00:02:56.699 And I don't know what might be keeping that from happening in your life, but we're going to talk about some principles to finishing. 00:02:56.699 --> 00:03:00.699 Well, how do you live well today to finish well tomorrow. 00:03:00.699 --> 00:03:09.432 In fact, in the passage we're going to look at today, we're going to see four ways to live well today so that we can finish well later, whatever that is. 00:03:09.532 --> 00:03:10.932 How do we live well today? 00:03:10.932 --> 00:03:11.800 To finish well later. 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:16.866 And we're going to be in first Peter chapter five, the last couple of verses here. 00:03:16.866 --> 00:03:20.866 First Peter chapter five, verses 12 through 14. 00:03:21.165 --> 00:03:24.332 And if you have a church Bible that on be on page 956. 00:03:24.332 --> 00:03:27.432 If you don't have a Bible, those are out in the lobby in the connection corner. 00:03:27.432 --> 00:03:37.332 We'd love to put one in your hands, but for you to be able to turn there to read the words on your own, to have a copy of God's Word for you to read from on your own, that's so important to your spiritual growth. 00:03:39.066 --> 00:03:39.199 Here. 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:50.165 I'm going to read from first Peter chapter five, verse 12 through 14 by Silvanus, meaning sent from, sent through Silvanus, a faithful brother. 00:03:50.165 --> 00:03:52.199 As I regard him. 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:59.866 I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. 00:03:59.932 --> 00:04:02.932 Stand firm in it. 00:04:03.500 --> 00:04:14.199 She who is at Babylon, who has likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son, greet one another with the kiss of love. 00:04:14.199 --> 00:04:17.199 Peace to all of you who are in Christ. 00:04:17.932 --> 00:04:21.899 Four Ways to live well now, to finish well later. 00:04:21.899 --> 00:04:26.500 And the first is to find faithful companions in the gospel. 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:32.800 If you want to live well now, to finish well later, make sure you're surrounded by faithful companions in the gospel. 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:38.865 Who you surround yourself with will have a large factor in determining who you become. 00:04:38.865 --> 00:04:45.399 One of the number one predictors of your health is who you're surrounded with. 00:04:45.399 --> 00:04:50.665 If you're surrounded by healthy people, you're probably a lot more likely to be healthy yourself. 00:04:50.665 --> 00:04:53.665 And the converse is true as well. 00:04:53.699 --> 00:05:00.399 Surround yourself with people who are passionate about the gospel, and we see that he's done that here. 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:05.932 He names two people in particular, Sylvanas and Mark Sylvanas in verse 12. 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:08.865 Mark at the end of verse 13. 00:05:08.865 --> 00:05:10.632 These are two significant names. 00:05:10.632 --> 00:05:15.665 Let me first just comment on the fact that he mentions names. 00:05:15.665 --> 00:05:28.500 This is just one thing that points to the truth the historical accuracy, the veracity of scriptures, the fact that he's actually mentioned in people who, when he wrote this, would have been alive and people could go to them and ask them, did you do that? 00:05:28.500 --> 00:05:30.300 Have you met him? Do you know about that? 00:05:31.365 --> 00:05:37.000 This moves it into the realm of something that is verifiable and trustworthy. 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:40.665 Now, each of these people are significant. 00:05:40.665 --> 00:05:42.365 They're important in the history of the church. 00:05:42.365 --> 00:05:48.533 In fact, Sylvanas largely likely delivered this letter to the intended audience. 00:05:48.533 --> 00:05:51.466 But Silvanus was also called Silas. 00:05:51.466 --> 00:05:58.500 And if you've read the book of acts, which if you're in the church Bible reading plan, you would have read that recently. 00:05:58.500 --> 00:06:05.899 Silas shows up like a dozen times in between chapters 15 and 18, and he does some really important things. 00:06:05.899 --> 00:06:11.100 He takes the letter from the Jerusalem Council, and the Jerusalem Council was the group of Jews who are going. 00:06:11.100 --> 00:06:12.300 Now wait a second. 00:06:12.300 --> 00:06:14.165 This is only been kind of a Jewish thing. 00:06:14.165 --> 00:06:16.399 Now we have Gentiles becoming Christians. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:20.466 How much of our old mosaic law do they have to follow to become Christians? 00:06:20.466 --> 00:06:23.533 Because they they weren't circumcised, they didn't know about sacrifices. 00:06:23.533 --> 00:06:25.000 They didn't know about the temple. 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:26.632 Like how much of that do they have to follow? 00:06:26.632 --> 00:06:34.033 And they wrote a letter saying, basically none of that walk in sexual purity and don't worry about all that follow Christ. 00:06:34.033 --> 00:06:36.632 And so he's been given kind of their Declaration of Independence. 00:06:36.632 --> 00:06:44.100 He's the one that's in charge of delivering that to people to say, here's what to do, here's how to live as a Christian, as a Gentile moving forward. 00:06:44.100 --> 00:06:45.033 That's an important role. 00:06:46.065 --> 00:06:47.665 He is a trustworthy person. 00:06:47.665 --> 00:06:50.000 He travels with Paul on his missionary journeys. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:53.000 He ends up in prison with Paul. 00:06:53.699 --> 00:06:55.833 He's a guy who has been through it. 00:06:55.833 --> 00:06:57.432 He's seen a lot. 00:06:57.432 --> 00:06:58.966 He's trustworthy. 00:06:58.966 --> 00:07:02.565 And Peter is saying, I've entrusted him with this message. 00:07:02.565 --> 00:07:05.632 That should add some weight, some credibility. 00:07:05.632 --> 00:07:08.632 That's the kind of guy he's surrounded himself with. 00:07:08.632 --> 00:07:13.966 Someone trustworthy, someone who's been through it, someone with a lot of experience. 00:07:14.033 --> 00:07:16.399 Now he also mentions Mark. 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:19.399 Notice he says here my son Mark. 00:07:20.833 --> 00:07:28.466 Mark would have also been John, Mark, Mark and we know this from some church history records from some early church fathers. 00:07:28.466 --> 00:07:41.165 Mark is believed to be the one who was traveling with Peter, which we know he did travel with him here even in Scripture, and actually is the one who then wrote the book of Mark. 00:07:41.165 --> 00:07:43.565 Let me write down what Peter said. 00:07:43.565 --> 00:07:48.399 Mark being the younger one traveling with him, I'm capturing his information as we go. 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:59.699 That's why it's called the gospel of Mark, not the gospel of Peter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Mark was there alongside him and he calls him my son, my son in the faith you see Mark show up. 00:07:59.699 --> 00:08:01.266 Mark also travels with Paul. 00:08:01.266 --> 00:08:07.100 Here's the interesting thing about Mark and we need to keep this in mind, especially with young believers. 00:08:07.100 --> 00:08:08.632 Mark would have been his son in the faith. 00:08:08.632 --> 00:08:15.333 Mark would have been someone he was investing in, pouring into younger than him, less spiritually mature than him. 00:08:15.333 --> 00:08:17.665 And Mark and Paul have a big falling out. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:22.733 Whatever reason, we don't even know what happened. 00:08:22.733 --> 00:08:24.132 But Paul said he's not going with me. 00:08:24.132 --> 00:08:27.132 They went their separate ways. 00:08:27.899 --> 00:08:31.600 But later he's restored. 00:08:31.833 --> 00:08:36.732 Don't give up on people who are new in their faith. 00:08:36.765 --> 00:08:40.732 People who are new in their faith are going to make mistakes. 00:08:40.732 --> 00:08:44.600 You know how I know that I make mistakes? 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:46.200 It's going to happen. 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:51.200 Be patient with those, especially high profile public figures who haven't been Christian. 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:54.166 Now, say they are Christian and then they do very young Christian things. 00:08:54.166 --> 00:08:57.133 Some patterns, as we all know, are very hard to break. 00:08:57.133 --> 00:08:59.200 Imagine if you were a brand new Christian. 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:00.600 You had a very high. 00:09:00.600 --> 00:09:04.200 I mean, think back to some of the dumb things you did right after coming to know Christ. 00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:05.865 What if everybody knew about that? 00:09:07.633 --> 00:09:10.600 We need to be very patient with those. 00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:12.932 We still correct, we still redirect. 00:09:12.932 --> 00:09:14.399 We still speak truth. 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:16.265 But it's in love. It's in patience. 00:09:16.265 --> 00:09:17.299 It's an understanding. 00:09:17.299 --> 00:09:20.299 Not not in judgment. 00:09:20.932 --> 00:09:22.533 Mark was like that. 00:09:22.533 --> 00:09:24.033 Fallen out with Paul. 00:09:24.033 --> 00:09:26.500 He was restored. 00:09:26.500 --> 00:09:28.432 We need to be patient with one another. 00:09:28.432 --> 00:09:37.732 The other thing about Mark, though, he surrounded himself, not just with Silas, who would have been his peer, maybe even someone he could look up to. 00:09:37.899 --> 00:09:42.100 But he also had people around him who he was born into. 00:09:42.100 --> 00:09:43.600 We all need that. 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:47.600 I need people that I can look up to that are pouring into me. 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:53.100 And this week I'm going to get a little bit of time with Bob Russell, former pastor at southeast. 00:09:53.100 --> 00:09:54.166 He's going to pour into me. 00:09:54.166 --> 00:09:58.666 I'm going to write down every single thing he says, no matter how seemingly trivial. 00:09:58.666 --> 00:10:00.765 I'm going to hang on every word. 00:10:00.765 --> 00:10:02.399 Please give me your wisdom. 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:03.466 You've been down that road. 00:10:03.466 --> 00:10:05.033 I need you pouring into me. 00:10:05.033 --> 00:10:06.466 I don't have it all figured out. 00:10:06.466 --> 00:10:07.332 We need peers. 00:10:07.332 --> 00:10:10.133 We need people who seem to be at kind of a similar level. 00:10:10.133 --> 00:10:11.432 We're sharpening one another. 00:10:11.432 --> 00:10:20.365 I'm also going to hang out with some pastors this week at a pastor's conference, who are going to be also in the same stage of ministry in life, and we're trying to figure it out together, sharpening one another. 00:10:20.365 --> 00:10:23.633 And then we also need those that were pouring into. 00:10:25.265 --> 00:10:29.633 And by the way, those people are sharpening me as well. 00:10:29.832 --> 00:10:32.799 First Timothy 412 don't let anyone look down on you because you're young. 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:43.133 But set an example for the believers when I see someone young, passionate about getting to know Christ, even if they're new in the faith, and that sharpens and inspires me to, and we need all that. 00:10:43.133 --> 00:10:49.666 We need to be surrounded by a community of people who are pursuing Christ. 00:10:49.932 --> 00:10:56.932 And I think, practically speaking, before we go into the next stage, this is a point for you to do a little bit of self-examination. 00:10:57.865 --> 00:11:09.000 If you find yourself struggling to grow spiritually, continuously falling back into the same sin patterns, the same strongholds is the word we used today. 00:11:09.533 --> 00:11:13.600 Just do a little self-assessment with who you've surrounded yourself with. 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:23.500 More than likely, there's a number of people who are continuing to pull you down, and I know some of those relationships. 00:11:23.500 --> 00:11:24.232 They may be family. 00:11:24.232 --> 00:11:27.899 You may not be able to make as hard as changes as you would like. 00:11:27.899 --> 00:11:37.365 I get that, but where you can make clear changes, make sure to surround yourself with faithful companions in the gospel. 00:11:38.500 --> 00:11:43.033 Sometimes we feel like if I break off that relationship, that'll be unloving, that'll be unkind. 00:11:43.033 --> 00:11:45.399 Who else are they going to hear Jesus from? 00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:52.232 Well, look, the most important thing you can do to pour Jesus into the life of someone is to make sure first, you are growing as a Christian. 00:11:52.232 --> 00:11:55.600 If they're pulling you down, you're not showing them Jesus. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:12:02.399 So get strong spiritually, physically, emotionally, first yourself, and then you can come back around to them and pour into them. 00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:12.432 But if they're continuing to pull you down and create some space, create some separation, and find faithful companions in the gospel. 00:12:12.432 --> 00:12:17.732 One of the most powerful ways to do that here at Valley View is to get in a life group, get involved. 00:12:17.732 --> 00:12:20.033 Those meet at 930, get involved in a life group. 00:12:20.033 --> 00:12:30.033 You're going to connect with other people who are trying to pursue Christ, not doing it perfectly, but but we're trying and you can lock arms with them. 00:12:30.033 --> 00:12:31.133 So that's the first thing. 00:12:31.133 --> 00:12:37.799 We see it here if you want to live well now, to finish well later, start by finding faithful companions in the gospel. 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:43.466 The second thing here stand firm and a trustworthy message. 00:12:43.666 --> 00:12:47.265 Stand firm in a trustworthy message. 00:12:47.399 --> 00:12:50.799 Look back at verse 12, Savannah's faithful brother. 00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:51.966 As I regard him. 00:12:51.966 --> 00:13:01.399 I have written briefly to exhort to, briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:03.732 Stand firm in it. 00:13:05.566 --> 00:13:20.399 We need something that we can stand firm in as a foundation, something that is strong, something that will bear up your weight, the weight of your faith. 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:24.765 And this is where we find that in God's Word. 00:13:24.765 --> 00:13:27.966 Now, he says a, a couple of very important things about that. 00:13:27.966 --> 00:13:31.832 Notice he says two things he has been doing related to the true grace of God. 00:13:31.832 --> 00:13:38.633 He has been exhorting and declaring both this is really important. 00:13:38.633 --> 00:13:49.166 We want to make sure we are both declaring and exhorting, meaning we are speaking the truth, but we're also pleading with one another to follow the truth. 00:13:49.166 --> 00:13:50.399 We see that all throughout here. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:51.765 He's he's speaking the truth. 00:13:51.765 --> 00:13:58.832 But then he's saying, I urge you, I appeal to you, I compel you live this out. 00:14:00.033 --> 00:14:03.732 We don't want Scripture to just be hidden knowledge. 00:14:03.732 --> 00:14:12.865 These are just interesting ideas about someone who lived thousands of years ago that maybe we might contemplate and consider how it might relate to our lives. 00:14:12.865 --> 00:14:14.966 No no no no. 00:14:14.966 --> 00:14:19.765 I want there to be a sense of urgency, a hunger. 00:14:20.432 --> 00:14:21.899 I hope you hear, hear. 00:14:21.899 --> 00:14:24.899 Constantly pleading depend on his word. 00:14:25.365 --> 00:14:28.365 Trust his word, follow his word. 00:14:28.566 --> 00:14:30.633 Know it. 00:14:30.633 --> 00:14:33.633 May it be your God for life. 00:14:34.966 --> 00:14:39.832 There's nothing else that is going to give you a strong, firm foundation. 00:14:40.466 --> 00:14:52.666 Then, knowing Christ through His Word, we don't just declare, we also exhort, plead. 00:14:52.666 --> 00:14:56.666 I remember having a conversation with a guy who I served in ministry with. 00:14:56.666 --> 00:14:58.000 This was 20 years ago. 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:02.832 Now, and I thought he was in a great place. 00:15:02.832 --> 00:15:05.865 And then one day he said, I'm going a completely different direction. 00:15:07.700 --> 00:15:10.365 And I pleaded with him. 00:15:10.365 --> 00:15:13.365 I begged him, don't do this. 00:15:13.700 --> 00:15:14.432 Don't give up. 00:15:14.432 --> 00:15:19.265 Every everything you've said you believe, don't just think about you. 00:15:19.265 --> 00:15:23.100 Think about all the people that's going to affect. 00:15:23.100 --> 00:15:33.133 I begged, I pleaded, I called, I emailed, I had friends call him, beg him, don't do this. 00:15:36.365 --> 00:15:42.100 He kept plowing ahead, kept moving ahead. 00:15:42.100 --> 00:15:47.399 If you want to finish well later, live well now. 00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:52.200 Stand firm in the faith in a trustworthy message. 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:55.133 The message which we have. 00:15:55.133 --> 00:15:58.066 Look, if it's not this, then what is it? 00:15:58.066 --> 00:15:59.765 What are you going to stand firm in? 00:15:59.765 --> 00:16:03.033 What does this world offer that gives you a firm foundation? 00:16:03.033 --> 00:16:10.633 Good luck finding it, and as soon as you think you've found it, it'll it'll change what you thought you could depend on. 00:16:10.633 --> 00:16:18.732 Yesterday will become undependable in an instant. 00:16:18.765 --> 00:16:23.265 Stand firmly in the foundation of truth. 00:16:23.265 --> 00:16:25.600 Now, he says a couple of different things about this. 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:30.899 He he has a couple of descriptors about how we stand firm in the truth. 00:16:30.899 --> 00:16:33.832 First, note what he says about Scripture. 00:16:33.832 --> 00:16:39.066 He says in verse 12, I have written briefly to you, all right. 00:16:39.066 --> 00:16:41.265 This is part of the beauty of Scripture. 00:16:41.265 --> 00:16:44.799 The reality is the book of First Peter. 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:49.365 You could sit down and read in ten minutes, no big deal. 00:16:49.365 --> 00:16:51.799 It's a very short. It's a letter. 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:52.765 It's called an epistle. 00:16:52.765 --> 00:16:57.832 That's a fancy word for a letter, a ten minute read. 00:16:57.832 --> 00:17:03.533 And yet we've taken 24 sermons to try to understand that ten minute read. 00:17:03.533 --> 00:17:06.599 You know, he MC squared is also very brief. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:10.766 I didn't mean it's simple. 00:17:10.766 --> 00:17:12.165 I've written to you in brief. 00:17:12.165 --> 00:17:19.232 And yet the amount of wisdom here to unpack it's almost infinite. 00:17:19.232 --> 00:17:20.799 I remember hearing a story. 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:22.700 Howard Hendricks was a well-known professor. 00:17:22.700 --> 00:17:35.799 That seminary influenced a lot of people in ministry over the years, and one of the things he would do in his How to Study the Bible classes, he would tell guys, okay, take acts one eight, just that one verse. 00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:40.799 That's the whole one about go out to Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. 00:17:40.965 --> 00:17:42.000 He said, take that verse. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:48.165 I want you to go home tonight and make 30 observations about that one verse. 00:17:48.165 --> 00:17:51.333 Just that's the beginning of Bible study is observing what's there. 00:17:51.333 --> 00:17:52.365 What does it say? 00:17:52.365 --> 00:17:55.266 Go home tonight, 30 observations about that one verse. 00:17:55.266 --> 00:17:58.665 And of course, everybody's going, how in the world there's not 30 words here. 00:17:58.665 --> 00:18:01.133 How am I going to make 30 observations about this verse? 00:18:02.232 --> 00:18:07.299 And they get home and they come back the next day and you can see like the angst, the sweat on their brow stuff. 00:18:07.299 --> 00:18:09.799 You can tell they hardly slept all night struggling through this. 00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:13.333 I get through it all and they come pretty, you know, pretty proud, pretty excited. 00:18:13.333 --> 00:18:14.599 I got 30 observations. 00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:16.932 I don't know if they're good or not, but I got it done. 00:18:16.932 --> 00:18:19.099 I turn it in and Mr. 00:18:19.099 --> 00:18:21.400 Hendrix goes, that was great. 00:18:21.400 --> 00:18:24.400 Now tonight I want you to do 30 more. 00:18:25.965 --> 00:18:27.799 How in the world can I get 30 more? 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:31.732 I just wrong, every ounce of sweat out of this verse that could possibly be in the history of the world. 00:18:31.732 --> 00:18:35.465 There could be no more knowledge attained from this verse. 00:18:35.465 --> 00:18:36.299 And I go home. 00:18:37.432 --> 00:18:48.465 And then the next day they come in and almost to a person, they say, I finally started to see some things here. 00:18:50.066 --> 00:18:53.532 His word is not exhaustible. 00:18:53.865 --> 00:18:57.766 Even verses you have memorized and repeated over and over again. 00:18:57.766 --> 00:19:03.532 The amount of wisdom, though seemingly brief, is inexhaustible for all of us. 00:19:04.333 --> 00:19:09.599 The wisdom here transcends everything you can experience in life. 00:19:10.532 --> 00:19:15.200 Yes, it's brief, but it's a depth could not imagine. 00:19:16.066 --> 00:19:16.965 So he calls it brief. 00:19:16.965 --> 00:19:18.732 But then also notice what he calls it. 00:19:18.732 --> 00:19:26.566 This is the true grace of God, the true grace of God. 00:19:26.566 --> 00:19:27.932 Both those words are important. 00:19:27.932 --> 00:19:30.932 Of course we believe it's true. 00:19:32.865 --> 00:19:35.766 But there are times where we don't. 00:19:35.766 --> 00:19:40.633 And especially when he's writing to an audience who has been suffering. 00:19:40.965 --> 00:19:45.032 Those are the times where you wonder if it's true or not. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:53.200 How appropriate is it for him to call this the true grace of God? 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:55.766 Because grace is what you need in the midst of suffering. 00:19:55.766 --> 00:19:56.865 Grace is what you need. 00:19:56.865 --> 00:20:05.232 When you were ready to give up, to live day by day, to finish well, you need to know that he cares and he's gracious. 00:20:05.232 --> 00:20:07.365 He's not just true information. 00:20:07.365 --> 00:20:10.032 He cares deeply. 00:20:10.032 --> 00:20:17.333 And it's his grace that will be with you through whatever you're facing. 00:20:17.333 --> 00:20:21.400 You know, there's a phrase they use in battle zones called the fog of war. 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:24.165 You may have heard of that. 00:20:24.165 --> 00:20:30.066 Some I've heard, different boxer say everyone has a great plan till they get punched in the face. 00:20:30.066 --> 00:20:32.200 All that goes out the window. 00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:33.432 I had a great battle plan. 00:20:33.432 --> 00:20:35.965 We had a great battle plan for how we were going to defeat the enemy. 00:20:35.965 --> 00:20:39.032 And then now war has started and it's a fog. 00:20:39.032 --> 00:20:47.932 We have no idea what's going on or where to turn, or where people are or what I should follow when you're in the midst of suffering, it feels like that fog of war, right? 00:20:47.932 --> 00:20:49.965 When will this end? 00:20:49.965 --> 00:20:58.500 What part of his word seems to make sense right now? But look, it's the grace of God that helps you look back and see he was still there. 00:20:58.500 --> 00:21:00.099 He was still in control. 00:21:00.099 --> 00:21:01.532 He was still true. 00:21:01.532 --> 00:21:04.532 I could still trust him. 00:21:04.932 --> 00:21:11.500 That's why we need those relationships to lean on in the midst of those hard times. 00:21:11.965 --> 00:21:14.865 So stand firm in a trustworthy message. 00:21:14.865 --> 00:21:15.633 That's how we live. 00:21:15.633 --> 00:21:17.932 Well, now, to finish well later. 00:21:17.932 --> 00:21:19.633 Now let's look at the third way here. 00:21:19.633 --> 00:21:20.633 You'll see on the screen. 00:21:20.633 --> 00:21:23.633 Remember a shared legacy. 00:21:24.099 --> 00:21:27.099 Remember that we have a shared legacy. 00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:33.165 Look back here in our passage today, the true grace of God stand firm in it. 00:21:33.165 --> 00:21:43.700 Verse 13, she who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark. My son. 00:21:43.700 --> 00:21:45.500 Remember, you have a shared legacy. 00:21:45.500 --> 00:21:47.133 Last week we touched on this. 00:21:47.133 --> 00:21:49.333 Remember, you are not alone. 00:21:50.333 --> 00:21:51.165 And he talked about that. 00:21:51.165 --> 00:21:55.432 There are others who are going through what you've been through and even worse. 00:21:55.432 --> 00:22:10.066 But the emphasis here is not just on the fact that we know individuals who have struggled with what we might struggle with, but also as a body of believers, there's a shared legacy that's been handed down to us through generations and generations. 00:22:10.532 --> 00:22:21.200 There's a church who has remained faithful to him, and he hints at that by talking about she who is at Babylon. 00:22:21.432 --> 00:22:27.000 Now, to understand that we need to talk about Babylon, because he doesn't mean literally the city of Babylon. 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:32.700 He's referring to Rome talking about Rome as Babylon. 00:22:32.700 --> 00:22:38.500 You know, you might do that today if you were talking about Las Vegas and you call it, what's it called? 00:22:38.500 --> 00:22:42.465 The city that burned up Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:22:42.465 --> 00:22:43.299 Right. 00:22:43.299 --> 00:22:44.665 And I'm headed to Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:22:44.665 --> 00:22:45.766 Oh, you mean Las Vegas? 00:22:45.766 --> 00:22:52.633 All right, so you're using that to imply that there's something going on there that relates to a historical truth? 00:22:52.900 --> 00:22:57.066 So, Babylon, why would he call Rome Babylon? 00:22:57.066 --> 00:22:59.599 Flip over to Genesis chapter 11. 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:00.865 But I've a page number on screen. 00:23:00.865 --> 00:23:02.333 But yes, we do page seven. 00:23:02.333 --> 00:23:04.432 It's at the beginning of the book. 00:23:04.432 --> 00:23:06.532 Obviously, it's the first book in the Bible. 00:23:06.532 --> 00:23:16.465 A couple of pages in chapter 11, because here's what was happening in Babylon, at Babel, at the Tower of Babel. 00:23:16.566 --> 00:23:17.566 They were doing two things. 00:23:17.566 --> 00:23:25.266 They're meant to intentionally thumb their nose up at God, intentionally disrupt his plan. 00:23:25.266 --> 00:23:28.865 What Babylon represents is the center of the world. 00:23:28.865 --> 00:23:32.200 Who has said, we're not following your plan. 00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:33.732 We're following our plan. 00:23:34.900 --> 00:23:36.532 In fact, look at chapter 11. 00:23:36.532 --> 00:23:39.465 Look here specifically at verse four. 00:23:39.465 --> 00:23:46.865 Then they said, come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens. 00:23:46.865 --> 00:23:54.700 Let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth. 00:23:54.700 --> 00:23:56.432 They're doing two things here in defiance of God. 00:23:56.432 --> 00:24:04.200 First he said, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, Noah. 00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:05.000 The ark. 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:06.432 The earth is empty. 00:24:06.432 --> 00:24:08.266 He says, fill the earth. 00:24:08.266 --> 00:24:09.266 Go out. 00:24:09.266 --> 00:24:14.032 And now they're saying, no, no, no, no, we're going to stay right here. 00:24:14.032 --> 00:24:15.465 That's what you want us to do. 00:24:15.465 --> 00:24:16.766 We're going to do the opposite. 00:24:16.766 --> 00:24:17.900 We're going to stay here. 00:24:17.900 --> 00:24:25.400 And instead of making your name great as we build this city, what do you say we're going to make our name great. 00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:27.400 We're going to make a name for ourselves. 00:24:29.432 --> 00:24:36.200 Babylon would have been the center of the efforts to say to God, you have a plan. 00:24:36.200 --> 00:24:38.365 We're going in a different direction. 00:24:38.365 --> 00:24:41.932 And Rome at this time would have been the very center of that as well. 00:24:41.932 --> 00:24:43.833 We're going to conquer the Earth on our terms. 00:24:43.833 --> 00:24:45.599 We're going to make up our own gods. 00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:48.599 We're going to follow our own ways. 00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:53.400 And so this is where part of the church was rooted. 00:24:53.400 --> 00:24:57.200 That's when he says, if you look back at first, Peter, you can flip back over there. 00:24:57.200 --> 00:25:01.365 She who is at Babylon, this is a hint. 00:25:01.365 --> 00:25:04.900 This is a reference to the church, the church in Babylon. 00:25:04.900 --> 00:25:07.900 The church is rooted there. 00:25:08.266 --> 00:25:10.465 You're not alone. 00:25:10.465 --> 00:25:13.400 You think wherever you are, you're facing challenges in your faith. 00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:13.965 And it's true. 00:25:13.965 --> 00:25:19.865 By the way, the part of the hard part of saying this is we're going to talk about how much harder some people have it. 00:25:19.865 --> 00:25:21.200 That doesn't mean you don't have it hard. 00:25:22.532 --> 00:25:25.165 I don't want to minimize what you're facing. 00:25:25.165 --> 00:25:28.599 You legitimately may be facing persecution. 00:25:28.599 --> 00:25:32.032 You may have someone persecuting you for your faith. 00:25:32.032 --> 00:25:38.900 There's other people out there facing that as well, in other contexts, in a different way. 00:25:38.900 --> 00:25:42.633 I think of a pastor I've looked up to for decades. He's passed now. 00:25:42.633 --> 00:25:50.566 But Tim Keller, who's rooted in New York City, that's a whole nother set of challenges he's trying to face and sharing the gospel. 00:25:50.566 --> 00:25:53.566 That's very different here. 00:25:53.566 --> 00:26:05.599 Or think of people who've right now, you may have heard some of the stories in Uganda, Christians losing their lives just because of raising their hand. 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:08.599 I follow Christ. 00:26:08.665 --> 00:26:16.333 Those who were in Rome, who were in Babylon, the center of defiance of God. 00:26:16.766 --> 00:26:19.432 He's saying they're with you. 00:26:19.432 --> 00:26:20.465 They're believing. 00:26:20.465 --> 00:26:21.432 Stand firm. 00:26:21.432 --> 00:26:23.865 Remember that you have a shared legacy. 00:26:23.865 --> 00:26:25.032 You're not alone. 00:26:25.032 --> 00:26:27.799 You're in this together. 00:26:27.799 --> 00:26:31.633 Part of what we need to be doing is also praying for one another. 00:26:31.633 --> 00:26:37.633 We need to be praying for other churches, other churches around us as well. 00:26:38.066 --> 00:26:40.833 There's another pastor in town I get together with about once a month. 00:26:40.833 --> 00:26:41.732 We pray for one another. 00:26:41.732 --> 00:26:42.732 We pray for our churches. 00:26:42.732 --> 00:26:45.732 We pray for other churches around us. 00:26:45.965 --> 00:26:50.932 There's not enough empty seats in any of our churches to reach our communities. 00:26:50.932 --> 00:26:52.133 We need to be praying. 00:26:52.133 --> 00:26:53.599 We're not alone. 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:55.200 We're not alone in this. 00:26:55.200 --> 00:27:00.965 We're all trying to tell others about the hope we have in Christ. 00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:07.400 Remember, we have a shared legacy that goes back for generations. 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:13.799 And then lastly, pursue the promised peace. 00:27:15.165 --> 00:27:18.165 Pursue the promised peace. 00:27:18.932 --> 00:27:23.700 So if you look back in verse 14, greet one another with a kiss of love. 00:27:23.700 --> 00:27:26.566 Peace to all of you who are in Christ. 00:27:26.566 --> 00:27:32.165 I've talked to the men's ministry about making verse 14, our theme verse moving forward. 00:27:32.333 --> 00:27:36.200 I thought that would be a lot funnier than it was. I'm sorry. 00:27:36.200 --> 00:27:37.165 No laughing. 00:27:37.165 --> 00:27:37.965 That was too serious. 00:27:37.965 --> 00:27:39.766 Obviously touched on a nerve. 00:27:39.766 --> 00:27:40.299 No no no no. 00:27:40.299 --> 00:27:42.599 Hold on now look, this is a custom. 00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:43.266 They had a time. 00:27:43.266 --> 00:27:51.465 Maybe if you've seen people in Italy greet one another with a kiss, it's obviously we do a different handshake, fist bump, elbow bump, whatever. 00:27:51.465 --> 00:27:54.099 What it speaks to is the reality. 00:27:54.099 --> 00:27:57.232 These are people you're united with in Christ. 00:27:57.232 --> 00:28:01.633 Greet one another as a friend who is closer than a brother. 00:28:01.633 --> 00:28:06.732 You can meet someone in a foreign country that you've never known before, and you find out that they know Christ. 00:28:06.732 --> 00:28:10.532 And in an instant, just like that, they're closer than a brother. 00:28:11.865 --> 00:28:19.365 Greet one another in the church with that mindset, but notice how he ends the book. 00:28:19.365 --> 00:28:22.365 Peace to all of you who are in Christ. 00:28:23.099 --> 00:28:25.932 Peace. 00:28:25.932 --> 00:28:28.900 If you're suffering, that's the word you need to hear. 00:28:28.900 --> 00:28:31.400 Peace. 00:28:31.400 --> 00:28:40.732 I have been beginning my mornings this week in particular, praying over that word peace. 00:28:40.732 --> 00:28:43.732 God, help me to walk in peace today. 00:28:43.865 --> 00:28:46.865 Help me to walk in joy. 00:28:47.532 --> 00:28:53.099 It's too easy to submit to the tendency to walk in frustration. 00:28:54.432 --> 00:28:57.066 To walk in a scattered ness. 00:28:57.066 --> 00:28:58.833 To walk in hurry. 00:28:58.833 --> 00:29:03.532 All of our lives are pressing that direction. 00:29:04.299 --> 00:29:07.299 God, help me to walk in peace. 00:29:07.333 --> 00:29:10.932 I had a moment this week where I was driving down I-65. 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:18.500 Actually, I was getting ready to get on 65, and I thought I made what I consider to be a pretty strategic maneuver to get on the ramp in front of someone else. 00:29:19.932 --> 00:29:27.532 This person disagreed, and they reminded me, you're not walking in peace with an interesting hand gesture. 00:29:28.799 --> 00:29:32.232 I was really impressed by how long they continued that hand gesture. 00:29:32.232 --> 00:29:42.566 It was minutes as we sat there on the ramp, and I just got the stare in my rearview mirror at it, wondering, what am I doing? 00:29:42.865 --> 00:29:43.865 What are you doing? 00:29:43.865 --> 00:29:45.700 What's the hurry? 00:29:45.700 --> 00:29:48.400 You're not walking in peace. 00:29:48.400 --> 00:29:51.400 You're only thinking about you. 00:29:51.932 --> 00:29:54.165 Walk in peace. 00:29:54.165 --> 00:29:56.865 Walk in peace. 00:29:56.865 --> 00:30:09.133 God has called us to live lives of peace and I know depending on your your job, your pace of life, your family, you're going. 00:30:09.133 --> 00:30:10.732 Good luck with that, John. 00:30:10.732 --> 00:30:13.732 Easy for you to say. 00:30:14.633 --> 00:30:17.099 I read from this Catholic monk. 00:30:17.099 --> 00:30:21.266 You probably have heard of Thomas Merton, read his letters. I read his journals. 00:30:21.266 --> 00:30:23.232 Obviously, I don't agree with all his theology. 00:30:23.232 --> 00:30:25.833 What I love to read about is him talking about peace. 00:30:27.665 --> 00:30:39.532 And what's fascinating is how often he says, you think a guy in the woods in Kentucky, the monastery he was in, is he or near Bardstown? 00:30:39.532 --> 00:30:43.465 You think that guy would be at perfect peace? 00:30:43.665 --> 00:30:48.365 The struggles they have with finding peace, it's crazy. 00:30:48.965 --> 00:30:52.766 And his point is peace is about inner peace. 00:30:52.766 --> 00:31:02.566 You can be not at peace in the woods of Kentucky at the monastery, but you can be in the subway in New York City and be at peace if you have inner peace. 00:31:02.900 --> 00:31:04.932 It's not about your environment. 00:31:04.932 --> 00:31:10.633 If you wait for your environment to dictate your peace, you'll never have it. 00:31:10.865 --> 00:31:12.532 We got to pursue. 00:31:12.532 --> 00:31:18.900 And here's the word here pursue the peace of Christ. 00:31:18.900 --> 00:31:26.700 And the way they find, we find that is to continue to come back to His word over and over and over again. 00:31:26.700 --> 00:31:36.232 When your heart is tugged towards frustration, towards hurry, come back to peace, come back to His word. 00:31:36.232 --> 00:31:38.599 Come back to prayer. 00:31:38.599 --> 00:31:40.865 If you want to finish well, live well. 00:31:40.865 --> 00:31:41.465 Now. 00:31:41.465 --> 00:31:45.200 Start by living your days in the peace of Christ.