2 Peter 1:12-21
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.17 He received honour and glory from God the Father when the Voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”18 We ourselves heard this Voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:12-21 REFRESHING OUR MEMORY
SPRINGFORD BAPTIST CHURCH: September 25,2022.
Consider with me a young child who keeps asking a parent, “What’s this” and “Why”? and the parent explains it again and yet again.
Consider with me also when the roles are reversed and this same child is now an adult and the parent has difficulty remembering. Now the adult child is answering the same questions from the parent over and over.
All through life, we need to have our memories refreshed. We can know things, but sometimes the details fade. Sometimes other things take our attention and we need to return to what we first knew.
Peter recognized here in Scripture the necessity of a refreshed memory. When it comes to the truth of our faith in God, this is something that we will need to be reminded of over and over.
He writes, 12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.13 I think it is right to refresh your memory (2 Peter 1:12,13a)
We affirm our faith and trust in God when we live our every day lives and recognize at every turn how much we need God.
It is our lived experiences that assure us that our knowledge of God and our dependence on Him is essential.
It is one thing for us to say, “I know God and I trust Him.” Our memory of this is refreshed when we face the challenges of life and keep remembering and holding on to this anchor.
This weekend there has been an intense storm battering the eastern provinces of Canada. People have been urged to prepare for these storms to ensure their safety. Large ships and smaller vessels as well have been anchored to keep them safe through the strong gusts and raging waves of this storm.
Likewise, we need to be prepared for the storms of life that we will all face by being anchored in Jesus. We secure that anchor when we refresh our memories about Who Jesus is and what He can do. We’ve experienced His constant Presence and care for us before and our memories are refreshed when we return to this place of safety again and again.
Peter writes from His own encounters with Jesus,
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.17 He received honour and glory from God the Father when the Voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”18 We ourselves heard this Voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain. (2 Peter 1:12-18)
Our memories are refreshed when Peter shares about this miraculous experience on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13). There Peter, James, and John witnessed the Majesty of Jesus and heard with their own ears God’s Voice coming from the Majestic Glory. God the Father confirmed that Jesus is His Son Whom He loves and with Whom He is well pleased. Our memories are refreshed and our faith in God is refreshed when we receive this testimony of how God did reveal Himself to human beings like us.
Peter continues, 19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (vs. 19)
We are reminded that the prophecy of Scripture about Jesus is completely reliable. There are few things that we can describe as completely reliable. God’s revelation of Who He is comes to us as completely reliable. We need light shining in a dark place don’t we? It is only with God’s truth illuminating our lives that the darkness is dispelled. This is why our memories must be refreshed and we must keep returning to the reliability of what we know of God.
Peter goes on to explain that Scripture is much more than human words: .20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20,21)
This is not just something that human beings came up with on their own. We are reminded to look at Scripture as having its’ origin with God. Prophets “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Here we are reminded to listen carefully for what God says.
Next Sunday Springford Baptist Church will celebrate its 190th Anniversary. That is a very long time that people over the years have gathered to have their memories refreshed about Who God is and what His place is in each life.
Sometimes people feel embarrassed when they cannot remember some details that they have been given. They may feel reluctant to have information repeated. As followers of Jesus, we can come freely to have our memories refreshed about Who Jesus is and what our faith in Jesus as our certain anchor means for us.
Our memories are refreshed when we come to church. Our memories are refreshed when we take time during the week to read our Bibles and to pray and listen for God in the stillness. Our memories are also refreshed when we ourselves experience firsthand that God is with us and guiding us safely through the storms of life that threaten and assail us. Today we thank God for the Majesty of Who He is and that He chose to send His Son Jesus Who also revealed the Majesty of God. We thank God that our lives find meaning as our faith memories are refreshed every time we turn to God and depend on Him to be Who He says that He is for us in every circumstance of life. We will never want to forget this powerful truth!