1. You are old!

2. You are about to die!

3. And, you know it!

4. You have one last opportunity to write to the people you love more than life itself. What would you say?

5. Well, Peter had just such an opportunity and we call that last letter II Peter

6. When Peter wrote the text he was a very old man. He knew that he didn't have very long to live (1:14).

7. Because of this he wanted to stir up their faith in Christ, He was one of the last apostles and he wanted to shore up their faith in Jesus (Jno. 12:48-49).

8. In today's text, he was saying, I'm old and dying......but I'm not afraid because I know Christ is alive and living

9. I know he is alive and living. and if I know it you can know it too because:

A. If the New Testament had been a contrived fable it would have not included accounts of events which revealed the weakness of the major characters:

1. James and John at the Samaritan City (Luke 2:41:55).

2. Thomas (John 20:24-29).

3. Peter's denials (Luke 22:54-26).

B. If the New Testament had been a contrived work, the authors would never have dared write anything negative about each other.

C. All of these examples attest to the truthfulness of the Gospels.

1. By way of comparison, I hold in my hand a "Cunningly devised fable" [HOLD UP A COPY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON].

2. Before you become upset with me for mentioning the Book of Mormon by name listen to what it says about the Bible 

[3] And because my words shall hiss forth -- many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible. [4] But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they shall have a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people. And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles? [5] O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people. [6] Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews? ( 2 Nephi 29:3-6).

3. A Mormon 21 year-old elder (?) will tell you he believes the bible "In as much as it is accurately translated." What he doesn't tell you is that he thinks every single line of the Bible has been mistranslated.

4. In the Book of Mormon, not only do the main characters (the brother of Jared) not make any mistakes, they are wiser than God! In the following quote God can't figure out how to build boats that will be water-tight and lighted without the advice of the hero.

[16] And the Lord said: Go to work and build, after the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren, and built barges after the manner which they had built, according to the instructions of the Lord. And they were small, and they were light upon the water, even like unto the lightness of a fowl upon the water. [17] And they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish. [18] And it came to pass that the brother of Jared cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, I have performed the work which thou hast commanded me, and I have made the barges according as thou hast directed me. [19] And behold, O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer? And also we shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish. [20] And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood. [21] And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did so, according as the Lord had commanded. [22] And he cried again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness? [23] And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire. [24] For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth. [25] And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?  (Ether 2:16-25).

D. We the Bible it is not a devised fable because the four gospels do not contradict each other even though they were written by four different men over a period of 40 years with the last one being written 60 years after the life of Christ.

1. The BM has Christ being born in Jerusalem.

[10] And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.  (Alma 7:10) (I Nephi 11:13-20).

2. The temple build in the Americas: in the following text the author says that there were valuable gems and metals available in the new world and in the next verse says there weren't any.

[15] And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. [16] And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon's temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine (2 Nephi 5:15,16. ).

 

3. Polygamy  [p.111]; D of C 132:38-39 [p.243]).

[24] Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord. [25] Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph. [26] Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old. [27] Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; 

[38] David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me. [39] David's wives and concubines were given unto him of me, by the hand of Nathan, my servant, and others of the prophets who had the keys of this power; and in none of these things did he sin against me save in the case of Urriah and his wife; and, therefore he hath fallen from his exaltation, and received his portion; and he shall not inherit them out of the world, for I gave them unto another, saith the Lord. (Jacob 2:24-27)

 

a. The writer couldn't even agree with himself let alone the 40 writers of the Bible.

b. He couldn't even remember what he had written from one book to another. In the Book of Mormon he said that David's many wives were an abomination. In the Doctrine and Covenants he said they were not an abomination.

4. Book of Mormon contradicts known facts it includes Compasses, and  a spring steel bow centuries before they existed. It talkes of horses in North America centuries before they were actually there.

E. We can know it is not a fable because too many people saw him, and were still alive.

1. 5,000 of John 6 and Matt. 14.

2. 500 of I Cor. 15.

A. Peter reminds us that he saw the transfiguration with his own eyes (II Peter 1:17-18)

B. Describe the scene.

A. Prophecy will bring the light of the world (Jesus) into the darkened hearts of the world (1:19; John 1:4-5).

B. The witness of the prophets can be trusted (20-21).

1. Not a matter of reading Time Magazine and predicting the obvious about the next year. Or making 100 predictions about the coming hear and then having 2% of them come true as the modern day prognosticators do.

C. Some of the prophecies about Christ:

1. Born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14---Matt. 1:23; Lk. 1:26-35).

2. Place of birth (Micah 5:2---Mt. 2:1-6; Luke 2:4).

3. Time of his birth and death (Dan. 9:24-27----Luke 2:1).

a. NOTE: Since the Roman Empire is gone, if Jesus is not the Messiah then one will never came.

4. His poverty (Isa. 53:2----Mark 6:3; Luke. 9:58).

a. The Jews were looking for a rich king with an invincible army.

b. If he had wanted to, he could have been rich because of his large following, or because his father owned the cattle on a thousand hills.

c. Ps 50:10 "For every beast of the forest [is] mine, [and] the cattle upon a thousand hills."

5. Betrayed by a friend (Psalms 41:9----Matt. 26:15).

6. Slapped on the cheek (Micah 5:1----Matt. 27:30).

7. Pierced his hands and feet (Psa. 22:16----Jno. 20-27).

a. 1,000 B.C. Crucifixion had not yet been invented when this prophecy was given.

8. Gall and Vinegar (Psa. 69:21----Matt. 27:34).

9. Cast Lots for his garments (Psa. 22:18----Jno 19:27).

10. Not a bone of his body would have been broken (Psa 34:20----Jno. 19:36).

11. Made his grave with the rich (Isa. 53:9----Mt.27:57-66)

12. Raised from the dead (Psa. 16:10----Acts 2:27-31).

APPLICATION:

1. Read the last paragraph of  Thanatopsis.

So live, that when thy summons comes to join
The innumerable caravan, which moves
To that mysterious realm, where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.

2. Wouldn't it be marvelous if we all could face life and death with the confidence that Peter did. You can.