First Baptist Church, Milton, LA

We Have a Book - 2 Peter 1:19-21

In 2 Peter 1:19-21, the Apostle Peter gives us one of the clearest statements that this Book, this Bible, is in fact God’s Word. In this sermon, we walk through these verses and see what they mean. What we will see there has several implications concerning God’s Word. Then we’ll give a brief answer to a major question regarding our Bibles. Our hope is that, by the end of the message, you have a greater confidence in your Bible as the Word of God and a greater commitment to reading it, studying it, memorizing it, and living it out. 

Pay Attention To Christ and His Word - 2 Peter 1:16-21

In the context of 2 Peter, this paragraph - chapter 1 verses 16-21 - is dealing with a very particular issue - namely the future return of Christ. In Peter’s mind, the Transfiguration is proof of both the future return of Christ and the certainty and authority of the Scriptures.
So we’ll really be weaving two major threads together this morning, because that specific application to Peter’s audience and to us also carries with it the broader principle that we ought to pay close attention to Christ and His Word, and to those who give testimony to it, not those who would lead us away from it. 
 

Elder Testimonies and Q&A

During our Sunday School hour, we held a Question and Answer time with our Elder nominees - Greg Thomas, Gary Barnes, and Matthew Doucet. They share their testimonies and then answer questions from the congregation.

The Need To Be Reminded - 2 Peter 1:12-15

We need to be reminded of things fairly regularly. That’s just as true for spiritual things, gospel things, as it is anything else. With spiritual things, there’s the added difficulty of spiritual warfare. The Bible says that Satan seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the enemy is always seeking to steal, kill, and destroy our every moment awareness of the Gospel, so that we don’t live out the Gospel and miss opportunities to share it with others.  In this sermon, we look at several reasons why we need to be reminded of the Gospel from 2 Peter 1:12-15 and four ways we can be reminded of the Gospel. 

Grace Sustained - 2 Peter 1:8-11

In 2 Peter 1:5-7, Peter lists qualities that are essential to the Christian life. In verses 8-11, Peter shows us why they are essential to the Christian life. In the overall context of 2 Peter, we could answer that "why" pretty easily - true Christians have these qualities and, in the end, they see Jesus. The false teachers, the false converts, don’t have these qualities, and they suffer for it in the end. Listen in as we see how these qualities are essential for fruitfulness, assurance, and eternal life.   

Grace Applied - 2 Peter 1:5-9

There comes a moment in everybody’s walk with Christ that they must commit to a single-minded, focused determination to grow in their faith in Christ - to take hold of all that God has provided for them (2 Peter 1:3-4) so that they make progress in their faith. 2 Peter 1:5-9 shows us the characteristics of that growing faith. 

Grace Received - 2 Peter 1:3-4

All of the Christian life is an exercise of grace received. In 2 Peter 1:3-4, we see how Christ has granted His people everything they need in order be saved and to live a godly life. In this sermon, we look at what those things are and how Christ gives them to us. We hope you'll listen in and be freed up from the bonds of sin and legalism as you learn to rest in the grace of Christ for both your salvation and your growth as a Christian. 

Remember Christ - 2 Peter 1:1-2

In this sermon, Pastor Matt walks through the greeting of 2 Peter and shows how it serves as a good introduction to the rest of the letter. We see how Peter writes to protect the young church against false teachers, and then we see the incredible gospel truths that Peter uses to identify his audience as true believers. 

The Pursuit of Happiness - Psalm 1

In this sermon, Pastor Matt shows us how Jesus Christ is the "righteous one" of Psalm 1. He is the one who perfectly lives according to "the way of the righteous." Therefore, the pursuit of happiness, for the believer, is the pursuit of Christ. By faith in Christ, we are enabled to begin to live out Psalm 1 and experience the blessings of walking in faithful obedience to God. As we see in this sermon, ordering our lives according to God's Word is key to living a blessed, happy life. 

The Gifts of the Spirit - 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

In this sermon, Greg Thomas preaches a sermon from 1 Corinthians 12 on spiritual gifts. 
Christ promises us a helper in the work of building the church. The Spirit equips us with gifts to be used in accordance with right doctrine, by His power, and for each need as they arise, according to the will of God.