The Value of Being “In The Know” (1 Peter 3:12)

Introduction

That looks eerily similar to this morning’s slide background. And I see the look on your faces, those of you who were here. So let’s go back briefly to some thoughts this morning. If you missed that sermon, I’m not going to re-preach it. Gary’s already got it. Already got it on the website. Just confirmed. But when I got to this particular slide this morning, and I asked you what was an additional motivation. Did you get the right answer when I paused? Did you know what I was about to put up? Some of you probably did. Some of you probably did not. And that’s the very reason why we need to preach lessons like that. I thought about that on the way home. And another thing that I thought about the minute I got to the back, I said, there was a verse that I was sort of building the whole sermon around that I didn’t even reference.

So I’m going to throw that in tonight at no extra charge. This would have been a great concluding verse, also in 1 Thessalonians, but this time chapter 5, he says to Christians at Thessalonica, that we are of the day, therefore we need to be sober. Having put on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet, the hope of salvation for God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. There’s the ending that should have been. Okay, so now you’re up to speed on this morning’s lesson. If you didn’t come back tonight, you only got about 99% of it. Okay, so tonight we’re going in a different direction. He is Scott Wiggington’s favorite philosopher. He was also a scientist, a statesman, an orator, and an author.

He served as both Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England in the 1500s. Yes, Sir Francis Bacon. And that’s why he’s God’s favorite. Philosopher. Anything that says bacon is Scott’s favorite. Sir Francis Bacon. Said it one more time. Scott’s not going to be able to concentrate tonight. He’ll be eating breakfast for supper. Is credited, Sir Francis Bacon is credited with the very common statement, knowledge is power. Now he didn’t actually say those precise words in any of his written works. He said, knowledge itself is power in one of his writings in the 1500s, but close enough. And so he gets the credit because it’s been quoted so many times since then. It is possible to overcome being overmatched in ability if you have knowledge.

Peyton Manning was an example of that, especially in his latter years. How can guys that slow like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, you know, the modern thinking is you have to be able to run and scramble to be an effective quarterback in college and the NFL. No. You just need to be smart and have a good arm and a quick release. And everybody always said about Peyton. I’m throwing you all a bone, Hark Riders here. Everybody always said about Peyton that he studied like no other. He was ready for every game that he played in because he thought that knowledge was power. Well, Ethel Watts Mumford, whoever that is, took it one step further. Now, actually, Ethel Watts Mumford was a writer of the 19th century, but she is noted for two things that she said.

The first is this God gives us our relatives, thank God we can choose our friends. That’s a lot to think about. But she’s also noted for one other statement in relation to knowledge is power. She says, if you know it about the right person. And that could be taken a lot of ways, but we’re going to take it in a spiritual way tonight. And that is, knowledge in regard to who God is and his purposes are indeed power. Christians are people who are in the know about some pretty important things. And I just want to convey to you tonight the value of being in the know. I think we take that for granted. Christians, those who embrace the will of God and the New Testament and the entire Bible, for that matter, are in the know about history.

Of all the important things that have happened in history, the things that relate to God’s workings and God’s people and his scheme of redemption are the most important facts, not that the others are not important, but the most important facts of all history. This history. But the Bible records a knowledge of that is of inestimable value. It’s more important than knowing anything about Jonah Bart. Look, you can go to heaven and not even know her name. And I’ve not forgotten what her history was all about. It’s really not that important in the whole scheme of things, but the history that relates to God’s scheme of redemption, that’s critical. We are in the know about the meaning of life. How we got here. What one must truly think and do to be a success in our world.

We’re in the know about the benefits of suffering, and I’m going to talk a little bit about that as we go along tonight. That’s really sort of the basis of this entire lesson, but to think about the fact that when difficult and troublesome times come to us, that there’s some benefits. And that a lot of people only see misery in those moments. And of course, knowing this information puts us in the know about life hereafter. And that’s pretty beneficial when you consider how short this is to how long that is. And so I can finish tonight. And when you said, whoa, shortest sermon ever from Tony. This could be beneficial if we just could appreciate the value of this and the fact that as the children of God who know truth, we are in the know in a special way.

1. Call to Me and I Will Answer You

And equipped to face whatever comes our way. Just such an idea was communicated in the Old Testament to Jeremiah the prophet. In regard to the dire present circumstances of God’s people, Jeremiah’s people, as God’s judgment loom. And yet, he speaks to Jeremiah about a very real hope for the future. I want to look tonight at Jeremiah chapter 33 and two verses in particular, but also what surrounds it. Let’s read these verses together. The value of being in the know. Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it. The Lord is his name. Well, why the introduction? Well, because sometimes we forget important things about why we need to listen to God and why we need to trust God in the midst of difficult times.

Now don’t forget who this message originates with. Who is this person who is communicating his will to us? He is the Lord who made everything. And that makes him awesome and sovereign and someone that we should listen to. And he says in verse 3, which has been styled by many authors, time and again. I’ve been hearing it for years as a preacher of the gospel. Jeremiah 33 and verse 3 is God’s phone number. And it’s easy to remember, Jeremiah 33.3. Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things which you do not know. If Jeremiah 33 and verse 3 is God’s phone number, call to me, and I will answer you. You need to make sure that you have a good connection.

That’s right. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 12. And you talk about a verse that is relevant to the times of Jeremiah. This was something that was not perceived by his kinsmen generally. That there was only a few people getting through on the line to God. And Jeremiah was one of the few.

2. God Tells Us Things We Could Not Otherwise Know

This takes me back to the point that I said, hey, the sermon would be good if we just got that. God tells us things that we could not otherwise know that equip us in a very special way. And we need to appreciate what he has given to us. Well, what are the circumstances in which Jeremiah is told these words? Let’s look at some information from the previous chapter. And this is extraordinary, and I would love to read the whole chapter, but it would take all of our time to do this. Jeremiah is in prison. The end is very near. Babylonian destruction is coming. The city is besieged. It and Z, this is shorthand, because of the space on the slide. Nebuchadnezzar is the end. Zedekiah is the Z.

He’s the king of Judah. This is not going to end well for him. Nebuchadnezzar is the king of Babylon, the greatest king of the world at that time, who has besieged the city of Jerusalem and in. And in Jeremiah’s prayer, in chapter 32, he speaks to the fact that the end is coming. In Jeremiah 32 in verse 28, behold, I’m about, God says, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it. And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall enter and set this city on fire and burn it. Wonder why? Where they have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out libations to other gods to provoke me to anger.

Well, there’s a little interesting part of Jeremiah 32 is he’s instructed by God in the midst of this very dire message to buy some land. Hmm. Doesn’t look like, from the standpoint of human observation, that this is a good time to be securing property in Anatol. But he has given instruction to go buy this piece of land for 17 shekels of silver, and there has never been a better spent.

This was bargain basement price on a piece of land because the Babylonians have overrun it. They besieged the city of Jerusalem. This is not prime real estate from the way things are looking now. But why? Why does Jeremiah need a piece of land? It might look like he’s never going to get out of prison. Because God is sending a signal that what is about to happen is only temporary. And God has plans for the future. Let’s go back one chapter earlier. Remember Jeremiah 31 quoted in the book of Hebrews about the promise of a new covenant. I will write my laws on their heart, it says, and the Hebrew writer quotes this in Hebrews chapter 8. And so, this promise of a new covenant, which is one of the great chapters of the Old Testament, as it speaks to the scheme of redemption, that is being built upon as we go into chapter 32 and the events of that.

And now, as we come into chapter 33, now I want you to continue reading. He’s actually said some things like this in chapter 32 in verses 37 through 40, when he speaks of an everlasting covenant to do them good, and I will put the fear of me in their hearts. But he goes on to say that I will bring health and healing in the future, an abundance of peace and truth, and I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and I will rebuild them as they were at first. In Isaiah and Isaiah. Jeremiah 33 in verse 7. Of course, these promises are somewhat misinterpreted by his audience. They are certainly being spiritualized in this context, the plans that God has for Judah and Israel.

Oh, but in these dire circumstances, and we see the people as they come back from Babylon in captivity, and there’s going to be a vacuum of leadership. So, what can be done in such a vacuum? Well, we’re going to address that too. In verses 14 and following, he says, I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. And in those days, and at that time, I will cause a righteous branch of David, the family of David is not done, to spring forth. And he shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. In those days, Judah shall be saved. And Jerusalem shall dwell in safety. And this is the name by which she shall be called.

This is not about, as Isaiah would also tell us. This is not about God re-establishing Judah and Jerusalem as a world-dominating power. This is about prophecies that Isaiah spoke of a generation or several generations ago about Zion and God’s plans for her future. And of course, the tentacles of those promises reach to eternity as we son about Zion and our future. But the beginnings of those blessings began on the day of Pentecost. In Acts chapter 2. Again, these were spiritualized, as he says in verse 17, for thus says the Lord, David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel. Okay.

The great sermon in Acts chapter 2, which has been called the hub of the Bible. What’s the message? Jesus is sitting on David’s throne. How long has he been sitting there? Not a trick question. Since Acts 2, Jesus ascending on David’s throne. How long has he been sitting there? Perpetually. Sitting on David’s throne, sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ascended to that highest place. He is King of kings and Lord of Lords. He has a name that is above every name. And so this prophecy is and has been fulfilled to this day and will be perpetually. It will not change. David’s descendant sits on the throne. Now think about this as it’s being told to Jeremiah. Oh, I’m going to get to that yet.

3. An Upturned Face, Not a Preoccupied Back

So why is he telling Jeremiah to call on him? And I will answer.

I gave you a little preview of that. Says about that request prior to him saying, I’m going to tell you great and mighty things that you did not know. I think Derek gets it right. Although God can make himself heard and has already done so in saying this, nevertheless, to reveal all that he wants to say, he desires a hearer who is already reaching out to him. This is why prayer is never superfluous to the study of Scripture or the quest for guidance. God is then speaking to an upturned face, not a preoccupied back. And so what we need to make sure of that as we live our lives, that we have an upturned face to God, and that we do not turn to him a preoccupied back because God is revealing to us great and mighty things that we need to know.

And what he’s saying to Jeremiah is, I’ve got a message for you, Jeremiah, and for future generations that will give you comfort in the midst of this awful circumstance in the midst of this awful trial. It looks bleak.

But there’s a silver line. In fact, it’s worth more than silver. It’s gold. My plan to make Judah and Jerusalem something far greater than you could ever imagine. And so as I think about what kind of comfort this must have provided, Jeremiah. Jeremiah is given insight into something that most of the people, if not all of them, in Jerusalem did not have. All they could see was the fact that their city was besieged. It was about to be destroyed. It looked absolutely hopeless. And because Jeremiah had an upturned face, he had hope. When hope was nearly non-existent. And that has to do with access to God’s unsearchable things. When I think of unsearchable things, I think of Romans chapter 11. I like these verses. I try to read them whenever I can.

Oh, the death of the riches. Both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. And this is building. This is actually a mini conclusion, as we studied in our study of Romans about God’s working out of salvation by grace through faith, a new system that brings hope, another system that preceded it, a system of law that brought only death and condemnation. Now there’s this new system in Christ that brings hope to everyone who will embrace it. Oh, the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways. We’re learning that back in the days of Jeremiah. Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become his counselor? He’s indebted to no one. And then finally in verse 36, for from him and through him and to him are all things, to him be the glory.

Hey, that’s sort of the purpose of the church. We saw that last week, right? To him be the glory forever and ever. Hey, just verse 36. How valuable is it to know that? How valuable is it? Oh, it’s just the end of a doxology. He’s about to transition to talk about being a living sacrifice, and we’ll go into all the things that we’re supposed to be as Christians in Romans chapter 12. But how valuable is verse 36 of chapter 11? To know that.

Where does everything come from?

4. We Are Marvelously Equipped

What’s the purpose of everything? To be subservient to the creator’s purposes and wishes. For from him and to him and through him are all things. If you know that, you’re way up on most of the people in our world. I’ll tell you what else we learn. That we are marvelously equipped as God speaking. Jeremiah is in prison. Jeremiah reminds me a lot of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. Though in prison, they’re free because of what they know. Look, really, the worst thing that somebody could do to you in this world is to kill you. But as Jesus says, that’s all that they can do. They can’t touch what you know and who you know. When you know God. Jeremiah might be in prison, but he knows things that Zedekiah doesn’t know.

And most of Jerusalem doesn’t know. He is equipped in a way that no one else is. Because he is in the middle. Let me give you some thoughts here. We are equipped to take hold of eternal life. As we saw in the beginning in the verse that was really in this morning sermon. God has not destined us for wrath. We are admonished, as Timothy is admonished in 1 Timothy chapter 6, to lay hold of eternal life. Doesn’t that encourage you? Fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life. It is not outside your reach. I’ll tell you, whenever I go in meetings, one of the things that I’m always sure to say, and I said it here, of course, that there is not anybody here tonight who is incapable of going to heaven.

I’ll tell you, that’s something that I know that is a great comfort to me. That you’re capable. I’m capable. Every one of us here tonight is capable of going to heaven. We just got to take hold of it. And it doesn’t mean that’s all about my own exertion of will and power, as we said this morning, with this God who works in us, both the will and the work for his good pleasure. Yes, we have help, we have assistance. It doesn’t all fall on me. But the fact is that I can do it. I’ve been enabled, I’ve been equipped to embrace eternal life. I can take hold of it. What tremendous knowledge that I can take hold of that which is life indeed. He will go on to say in 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 19.

5. Adversity and Trouble Can Produce Positive Spiritual Benefit

The foundation that holds promise of the future. That’s why we have something of tremendous value when we are in the will of God. I want to make some final points about the things that we know that put us in the know in a special way. Number one adversity and trouble can produce positive spiritual benefit. That’s a nice thing to note. We talked about the chastening of the Lord recently, and for the moment it seems sorrowful. And I don’t know everything that’s involved in what the Hebrew writer is talking about when he speaks of the chastening of the Lord and how that plays out in our circumstances. And but what I do know from Hebrews chapter 12 is it’s not always pleasant. He says, for the moment it seems sorrowful, but it yields something, and that is the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

We can look at James chapter 1 about the various trials that we confront, and yet it produces patience. A very helpful thing in us among others. In every circumstance of life, I can be equipped to think and act in the highest way possible and in a God glorifying way. There is no circumstance that you’ll encounter. And I wish I could say, in your life, kids, you’re going to face this and this and this. This is going to be bad. So I want you to start getting ready now. I don’t know. Maybe you’ve already faced some difficult things. I hear horror stories of some things kids in our time in our culture have to deal with. Some horrible things that I couldn’t even mention from this bullet because they’re so horrible.

I don’t know what you may have already faced or what you will face. But I know this. There’s a way. There’s a way to face every circumstance in life in a way that brings glory and honor to God. A couple of passages here just in passing. I like Psalm 120. It’s the first of the Psalms of the sense. It follows that really long Psalm 119. I love when he says, Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshach. I dwell in the tents of Kedar. I have no idea what Meshech and Kedar were all about. I don’t even know where they were. I just know woe is the Psalmist because he was there. It was bad. Just trust him. It was bad. You don’t want to be in Meshach.

You don’t want to be in Kedar. But the fact is sometimes you find yourself there. Not literally in those places, those despised little towns. But what he goes on to say is, why was it so bad? When I speak, I am for peace. But they are for war. You know who could appreciate that? Jeremiah. Jeremiah only wanted God’s peace. Zedekiah would have nothing to do with it. Zedekiah wanted his own way. He was at odds with the prophet of God, throwing him in prison. He sank down in the mud in the hole that he was in.

6. While It May Seem Evil Is Winning

Sometimes people will mistreat the righteous. As much as lies within you. Be at peace with all men. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. But that’s the point that I’m making. Keep coals of fire on their head, Paul would say in Romans chapter 12. That’s right beyond that Romans 11 text that I just quoted. So here’s a here’s a great thing. Somebody that I’m talking to doesn’t want resolution. They don’t want peace. They want to fight. They want to harm you. You overcome evil with good. See? You’re equipped. You’re equipped to know the best way to respond to the worst kind of situation. Jeremiah was equipped. Point number three. While it may seem evil as winning, the future will reveal otherwise. What a great message in the study of Jeremiah.

It looks like evil has won the day. If it’s not the evil in the city, it’s the evil of the Babylonians, is they’re about to wreak a horrible destruction on the city. Oh, yes, they were God’s instrument in a sense, but they really didn’t care about that. They had their own agenda. And it was bloodthirsty.

And sometimes in our lives, in our culture, in our media, among our politicians, whatever the corruption might be, while it may seem evil as winning. The future will reveal otherwise. Isn’t it nice to know? Isn’t it comforting to know that evil will not ultimately win?

One day, what is evil will be shouted from the rooftops, Jesus says. What is evil will be declared to be such, and you don’t want to be on the wrong side of that ledger. And finally, or second to last anyway, the ravages of time and decline in one’s physical condition remind us that something far better approaches. Jeremiah’s day was running out. But oh, if we could talk to him now. Was it worth it all to be pretty much a lone ranger in horrible times among the covenant people of God? Better times. Jeremiah’s living better times right now. It’s hard sometimes to remind ourselves of just how temporary this is. But I think about this. When I was a young person, as I mentioned, the congregation among whom I grew up as a little boy, and some special preachers that had a tremendous impact on my life early on.

My family was really good friends with Claude Wilsford. And of course, I’ve mentioned Robert Jackson many times. He was my favorite preacher growing up. And he would mention, I was baptized in the watery grave of baptism of my brother Grover Stevens. I don’t know how many times I heard him say that. I love to hear him say it. You can say it as many times as you want it. I just love the way he said it. Baptized in the watery grave of baptism of my brother Grover Stevens. I’ve heard Grover Stevens preach. He was a great man. He would speak to people about the errors of denominationalism, and he would just go, beloved. You could tell he really cared about the people that he preached to.

Those three men that I mentioned. It doesn’t seem very long ago. But they’ve not been with us here for some time. And it won’t be very long if the Lord allows this earth to stand, that somebody will say, at least two people.

Conclusion

Used to say, maybe only one person, somebody in my family. But it’s hard for us to realize just how temporary this is. And this is the end of it. Something we learned from Jeremiah 33. It’s really the whole Bible. And it’s wonderful to know. Great and mighty things that we need to know. Young people don’t ever let it get out of your grasp. This isn’t new either. Like knowledge is power. This is even older. Faith is the victory.

I know 1 John 5 and verse 4 says something to that effect, but that’s not just a 1 John 5, 4 passage. It’s a Bible thing. Faith is the victory. You want to be a winner? You need faith. Without it, there will be no winning. You need to respond to the invitation. Come now, we’ll stand to say.