Jump Start # 2438

2 Peter 1:12 “Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.”

The other day while I was driving about, I was listening to my favorite daytime talk show on the radio, Dave Ramsey. It’s all about finances. A guy called in. He was in a mess. He was between jobs. He was thinking of pulling out his retirement to pay for his bills. He then said three amazing things: “I know what you are going to say. Go ahead and say it. I need to hear you say it.” I grabbed a pen and wrote that down. That’s an amazing spirit. And, that takes us to our verse today.

Peter has something to say. They already knew it. Yet, he was going to say it anyway. And, that takes us to sermons, classes and our conversations with each other. After a person has spent a while in the Bible, he ought to pretty much know what God is going to say. And, when a person has spent decades and decades sitting in Bible classes and sermons, there’s not much he’s going to hear that is new.

Now all of that reminds us of a few important thoughts:

First, sometimes we preachers are always looking for something that no one else has ever discovered. We are not walking in new lands. We are not the first on the scene. After 2,000 years of preaching the Gospels, there isn’t much that hasn’t been preached, written or told. The search for the unique and the different can take us to places we shouldn’t be. Tell me the old, old story ought to ring true with us. We can always look at passages and find truths that we haven’t seen before. Others likely have, but maybe we haven’t. Our work is not to find new things but to preach the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ.

Second, each generation must be taught the core principles of the Bible. They need to hear lessons and have classes on authority, inspiration, uniqueness of God’s kingdom, on Jesus Christ, and on our walk with the Lord. These thoughts may be new to a younger generation. Those of us who have been around need to be patient, just as others were with us when we were learning these things. Teaching and teaching is the backbone of faith and stability within a congregation.

Third, we need to have the spirit as this Dave Ramsey caller had. Rather than arguing, looking for loopholes and trying to find a way to wiggle out of what we ought to be doing, we need to say, “I know what you are going to say. Go ahead and say it. I need to hear it.” Could you say that? Could you say, “I know what the Bible is going to say. Go ahead and say it. I need to hear it”? There is comfort in a message that doesn’t change. Our times change. Society changes. The weather changes. But God’s word remains the same. Now, there are those who are trying to say God’s word must keep up with culture, but they don’t understand the unchangeable nature of God’s word. Rather than changing the word, we must change our selves. Culture comes and goes. Culture isn’t the same all over the world. So, when folks start pushing for changes not found in the Bible, and they want to stand upon the platform of culture, which culture are they appealing to? The culture of today certainly isn’t the culture of the 1800’s. The culture of America isn’t the same as the culture of Iran. So, cultural changers are left with a Bible that doesn’t mean the same for everyone world wide. They have a Bible that may change in another decade. What’s really behind the cultural platform is the agenda to change the church and a dissatisfaction with what God has said.

As Peter was writing his audience, he said, you already know these things. These truths didn’t change. They remained the same. And, they have remained the same, even for us.

I know what you are going to say. Go ahead and say it. I need to hear it. Sweet words.

Roger

Jump Start # 1895

2 Peter 1:12 “Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.”

Often in Peter’s second letter he states that he is reminding them of the things that they know. Memory is a funny thing. Some have a sharp memory and years later can tell you details of things that happened. With others, their memory gets fuzzy and they tend to recall only bits and pieces. Sometimes we think we remember how things happened and it’s just not accurate. You see this when a husband and wife are telling a story. He starts talking about a vacation years ago. He gets the details all wrong. Wrong year. Wrong day of the week. Not the right name of the hotel. As his wife constantly corrects him, he gets frustrated and proclaims, “I thought I was on the trip with her.”

Our verse reveals two important observations for us.

For the preacher, he needs to go back over things already taught. Don’t always be looking for new ideas, new texts, new things to talk about. That is exciting and fresh for him, but our faith must rest upon the foundation of what the Bible teaches. Things must be repeated. Things we already know must be taught again and again.

There are a couple of reasons for this. First, we forget. We forget the details. We forget what we ought to know. Secondly, a new generation must learn and know. While there are some who “already know,” there are always some who are hearing it for the first time. Core principles, first principles, elementary teachings, need to be repeated and repeated. We remember the solemn statement about the Hebrews who needed to be taught the elementary principles. They should have known. Did they forget? Did they not have those lessons repeated?

For the audience, we need to be reminded. We can get things mixed up in our minds. We forget to use what we have. We get so busy with life, that when things happen, the storms close in around us and instead of standing firm, our faith wobbles and for some it collapses. Someone reminds us to pray. Our response is, “Oh, yeah, I forgot.” I forgot. I forgot about that verse. I forgot about God’s promise. I forgot about what I was supposed to do. I forgot.

Peter is reminding them of things they already knew. Now, as this happens, there must be patience and kindness. For some have not forgotten. How easily they could tell Peter to preach things that we don’t know. Yet, in saying this, they do not realize that others may have forgotten.

And, this tells us, that we are not all in the same place spiritually nor do we all have the same spiritual knowledge or even the same memory. Some get it. Some don’t. Some remember. Some forgot. Some are doing well. Some only so-so. Thinking that everyone is at the same spot that I am can be a dreadful mistake. It can make me impatient with some. It can make others discouraged.

Why is it that in the same congregation, listening to the same sermons, reading the same bulletin articles, sitting through the same classes, some excel and others drift? Why? Why do some remember and others forget? Why do some see and others don’t? These are the very things that causes elders and preachers to toss and turn at night. Some are getting it and others are not. Some are doing well and others are struggling. Some of the very issues that are tripping some have been addressed in sermons and classes. A class is taught on marriage. A couple sits through the class and yet their marriage stinks. A sermon is given about the blessings of hospitality, yet some refuse to extend hospitality. A sermon is preached about the dangerous addiction of porn, and after sitting through the sermon, some still struggle with that problem.

Why was it necessary for Peter to remind the brethren? In the third chapter, Peter says, “I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets…” Remember.

The answer to all of this is that we are all different. Some can remember things after reading or hearing one time. Others need more. Some are self driven. Some need encouraging. We all carry our own history, baggage, issues, and sins. All those things influence us and shape us. And, to be honest, some of us are trying harder than others. You see that with students in school. You see that in our journey with God.

So, reminders are necessary. Bible classes that have been taught in the past will have to be repeated again. Find new teachers. Approach the subjects in different ways. But remind, repeat and explain again the things that we already know. Help us to pull those thoughts out to the front. Help us to think spiritually. Help us to see what God wants us to see.

In the world of preaching, one of the most common questions asked, ’How do you come up with a new sermon every week?’ This passage about reminders helps to explain that. Going over the fundamentals with fresh eyes, a different approach and trying to stir up what folks already know but have forgotten, is where many sermons begin.

I don’t think Peter’s reminders were naming the apostles or the twelve sons or the books of the Bible in order. Those things are great to know, but it’s the core principles about faith, grace, love, commitment, service, the very things that direct our steps spiritually is what Peter was driving at. The second coming. Faith. Baptism. Authority. Inspiration. What the church is about. Worship. Marriage. Parenting. Living. If a person forgets those things, knowing the books of the Bible in order won’t do much to change his life. Peter was reminding them of what it means to be a Christian. What is a Christian supposed to be. How we as Christians are different than the world. It is those things that will change our attitudes, affect our modesty, improve our language and give us the hope that ought to be in us. We become more prayerful when we remember who we are. We walk a step closer to the Lord when we remember who He is. Do this, the Lord’s Supper tells us, in memory of Me.

Remember…

Roger

Jump Start # 1479

2 Peter 1:12 “Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.”

Reminders. They are a valuable part of our lives. We have notices on our phones that remind us of important meetings. Facebook will remind us of the birthdays of friends and family. Most of us learned our A-B-C’s by repetition.

When it comes to teaching God’s word, reminders are also important but they present great challenges to us. In our verse, Peter recognized that his readers knew what he was telling them. This wasn’t new information. The reminders are necessary because we forget.

There is a challenge to the audience that hears things that “you already know.” Because you know these things doesn’t mean everyone else knows them. Every generation must be taught. Teaching often covers the same ground that others have learned years ago. How we react and respond to such things tells a lot about us. We can be bored because “we’ve already heard these things before.” We can be impatient and even critical with the teacher because we are not being taught new or challenging things. I find this spirit alive and well in far too many places. It is interesting that we do not have any trouble watching the same movie over and over. When the new Star Wars movie comes out, there will be some who will watch a dozen or more times. Every holiday season many of us enjoy watching the same favorite shows, including cartoons such as Frosty and Rudolph. Over and over we will watch these shows. We can quote the lines. We know exactly what will happen. The same goes for music. We like certain songs and enjoy listening to them over and over again. When we go to a concert, we like to hear our favorite songs. The new stuff is ok, but play our favorites! Should it be any different with hearing fundamental lessons over and over. Sermons about Noah or the fiery furnace or Gideon’s march, although well known by many of us, ought to bring fond memories and a certain comfort to us.

Sometimes older members can be a little harsh on the young preachers because they are presenting lessons about authority, the church, salvation, or worship. These young preachers are doing just exactly what they ought to be doing. Thank them for taking us back to those solid truths. We need reminders. We can forget the details. But don’t jump on them simply because you know and have heard these kind of lessons before. Remember, you are not the only one in the audience. Remember, it’s not all about you. Remember, we need folks to help us remember.

Second, there is a challenge to the preacher and teacher of these truths. Teaching the same type of lessons can be boring to the teacher if he is not careful. Lessons on the basics are needed all the time. But make them fresh. Make them challenging. Help a new generation to see what God is saying. Jude said to “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered.” It’s been delivered. But return to it. Stay with it. Teach it over and over. Approach it from where people are today. Understand your audience. Help them to see things through their eyes.

I’ve been reading a PhD. Dissertation that was written in 1966. I read part of it before because I found sentences that I had underlined. But there are things I had forgotten. So, I’m reading it again. It seems to make more sense to me this time than the first time I read it. Repeating. Reminding. Re-reading. Those are the building blocks of our faith. It doesn’t take very long to read the entire Bible. So a person has read it. Is that it? Obviously, NO. He must read it again. He must read different sections again. He will focus upon and look for specific things with each reading.

Remember the hymn, “tell me the old, old story…” The story is old, simply because it took place a long, long time ago. But it can be old because many of us have known this story for decades. But tell it to me again. Never tire of hearing Biblical truths taught and preached. Never groan when the preacher announces that his lesson is about the Cross.

Peter reminded his readers of things that they already knew. We need to do the same. It’s good to do that. We need to do that with our sermons, our classes and our private studies. Be glad when you hear that ole’ familiar lesson. It means the gospel message is still being sent out.

Roger