Peter’s Amen

Temple Baptist Church - 8-29-2018

2 Peter 3:18

Introduction:

A.  The book of 2 Peter speaks of the perils and blessings of the end time.

1.  The Peril of False Teachers.

2.  The Peril of Science Falsely So-Called.

3.  The Peril of Wrestling with the Word of God.

4.  The Peril of Falling Away.

B.  It also speaks of the excitement of God’s people.

1.  The Excitement of seeing the Scripture Fulfilled.

2.  The Excitement of having God’s Word in hand.

3.  The Excitement of Spiritual Growth.

4.  The Excitement of Standing in the Old Paths of our Fathers.

C.  2 Peter ends with a short Doxology, or praise.  To God be the glory, Amen!

D.  I want to take a short look at the word Amen tonight. 

1.  Amen is found 78 times in your Bible, if you have the right Bible.  27x in the Old Testament and 51x in the New Testament.  The words Amen, Amen” or “Amen, and Amen” are found 5x in the Old Testament.  There are no instances in the New Testament.

2.  Amen, in the Old Testament, means faithful, trustworthy, or right.  The Hebrew word Amen is transliterated into the English language because we have no such word.

3.  Amen, in the New Testament, means faithful, trustworthy, or right.  The Greek word Amen is also transliterated into the English because there is no such word in English.

4.  The word Verily is found 140x in your Bible.  16x in the Old Testament and 124x in the New Testament.  words “Verily, Verily” are found 25x and all instances are in the New Testament.  Verily means truly.

5.  The word Truly is found 42x in your Bible.  24x in the Old Testament and 18x in the New Testament.  Truly means verily!

E.  The center letters of the Word Testament are “amen.”  Amen comes from a root word that means “so be it” or “let it be so” as we would normally say. 

1.  Amen is both an agreement with God and a godly desire that agrees with what God says. 

2.  Most of the time, Amen is used as an interjection that we say when we agree with something someone has said that agrees with what God has said.

3.  Basically, what we are saying is “Let it be so!”

f.  We use “Amen: to:

1.  To Confirm the Accuracy of our Praise.  An enthusiastic, “That’s right!” Romans 9:5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

2.  To Affirm our Desire in our Praise.  “Let it be so!”  Revelation 22:20  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

3.  To Enter into Another’s Praise.  “I agree with what you said!”  Nehemiah 8:6  And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

g.  Allow me to use “Amen” tonight considering these usages.

1.  I am Enthusiastic about what’s coming.  Esther 4:13-17  Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.  (14)  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (15)  Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,  (16)  Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.  (17)  So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him. 

a.  We live in perilous times.  The world has gone mad because they have rejected God.  No God equals no Purpose in life.  No God equals Humanism or the “god of self.”  People are wicked and the world is whacko!  I do not like it but say “AMEN” to it.

b.  We live in lonesome times.  Very few people remain with the Old Paths of Biblical Purity, Biblical Sanctification, or Biblical Separation.   We that stay with the old ways are maligned as legalists or just plain old fashioned.  I do not like it but I can certainly say “AMEN” to it.

c.  We live in disappointing times.  Everything is upside down: good is bad, bad is good, injustice often trumps justice.  God’s people have learned to “withstand” in the evil day and having done all, “to stand.”  I do not like it but I can certainly say “AMEN” to it.

d.  We live in exciting times.  As we see the fulfillment of Scripture and understand the times, there is a silent cry in our hearts, “Even so come, Lord Jesus!!  It’s just about home time!  I can certainly say “AMEN” to that.

2.  I agree with what is coming.  Revelation 21:1-5  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  (2)  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  (3)  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  (4)  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  (5)  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

a.  I am tired of this old sinful world.  Change and decay in all around I see.  People who reject God and creation, have the false notion that things are evolving upward.  I have been young and now I am old.  I have seen America at its best and now compart that to its worst and say with conviction that the evolutionists are WRONG!  I am leaving this old world behind.  I can certainly say “AMEN” to that.

b.  I am tired of this old sinful body.  Again, change and decay in all around I see.  Paul asked, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”  My body is corrupt through sin and decaying with age but one day just like today, I will get a new one wherein dwelleth righteousness.  Never tired, never old, never hungry, fit for eternity.  I can certainly say “AMEN” with that.

c.  I long for my long home.  In my Father’s house are many mansions and I have one with my name written on it.  Biltmore wouldn’t make a good “dog house” in heaven.  I can certainly say “AMEN” to that.

3.  I agree when men preach God’s Word in Truth.  2 Timothy 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  (Church people today look for churches that only preach certain doctrines.  My Bible says to reprove and rebuke with all longsuffering and doctrine.  Then, the ones that are left will be exhorted!) 

Romans 10:14-15  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  (15)  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

a.  Give me an old-fashioned salvation.  I do not like these professions of faith that do not change the convert!  I can certainly say “AMEN” to an old fashioned conversion.

b.  Give me an old-fashioned church.  I do not like churches that have gone the way of the world.  I like ones that still reverence God’s House.  I like ones that still have right music.  I can sit on the pews of an old-fashioned church and say “AMEN” to that.

c.  Give me an old-fashioned preacher.  I do not like the modern preachers.  Pretty boys who have little or no conviction in their lives.  I believe that God’s men and their wives should set a proper example before both the flock and the world.  I can certainly say “AMEN” to an old-fashioned preacher.

d.  Give me an old-fashioned Bible.  If you have not noticed, I am King James Bible without apology!  I only let King James Bible men in my pulpit!  I only go to hear King James Bible men preach!  I love the Word of God and it is the King James Bible, not version, in English!  I can certainly say “AMEN” right there.