Abundant Entrance or Scarcely Saved? | Frank Brancato

It's wonderful to be here today with all of you to worship God

in spirit and in truth. And we do have some visitors

among us from other congregations here today,

several different congregations. We also have perhaps some

visitors from the community. If we do, we want you to know

that you are our honored guest. And we say welcome.

About 8:30 this morning, Chris had the lesson today and about

8:30 this morning he texted and did all that he could to be here

and give the lesson. He's not feeling well.

And so I'm a last minute fill in and what I decided to do is

preach A sermon that I like to preach throughout the country.

I preached this sermon in 2019 here.

So it's been a while since I preached it here, although I

have preached it at the Memorial Day meeting on Sunday morning

and I preached it throughout the country.

Maybe you have heard it, maybe you remember it, maybe you

haven't, but it's incredibly encouraging.

The passages that I want to talk with you this morning.

The first passage that's under consideration for our

introduction is really one of the most encouraging passages in

all the New Testament, and it's found in second Peter chapter 1

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

and verse 11. For so an entrance will be

supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's the first passage under

consideration. The second one is this also

written divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, but written by

Peter in first Peter chapter 4 and verse 18.

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

Peter says, now if the righteous 1 is scarcely saved, where will

the ungodly and the Sinner appear?

So here's my question before us this morning before we go any

further. Will the righteous be scarcely

saved, or will the righteous have an abundant entrance into

the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

In other words, what my question is this before us today?

Is Peter talking about the same thing when he said abundant

entrance in one passage? And is he talking about the same

thing when he says the righteous scarcely be saved?

We'll investigate that in great detail this morning.

But first of all, let's just back up regarding the context.

And we're all about context. We're about context and we're

about application, as you've heard me say, I don't know a

million times. So let's go back to second Peter

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1 and verse 11. And let's notice context by

backing up to verse 5, Peter says, but also for this very

reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue to

virtue, knowledge to knowledge, self-control, to self-control,

perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness,

brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love.

This is often times referred to as the seven Christian graces or

the seven Christian virtues. Let's notice briefly what they

are. First of all, after we become a

Christian, we add to our faith something.

In other words, we have a responsibility to apply things

in our life. And may I just slip this in real

quick in my career, I guess you might say, forsake of a better

term as a preacher, wherever I go throughout the United States

and even outside the United States, 15 trips to the

Philippines, this is a question that comes to me a lot.

How can I successfully, practically live the Christian

life? What can I do in my life so I

don't be tossed to and fro? In other words, I'm weak in the

flesh, I make mistakes, and I keep kind of falling down.

So what can I do practically? And I love practical passages.

That's why I love preaching anything Jesus preached.

But these are some of the most practical things that you can

apply in your life and I can apply in my life.

After we become a Christian, we add to our faith.

We add to our obedience to the gospel.

The following #1 virtue. Virtue actually means moral

excellence. It's your quality of life.

That actual Greek word for that. And I don't know how to

pronounce it, so I'm not going to try.

I'm just going to tell you what it means.

That word in application, in its origins, came from the word that

literally means something, that is someone performing heroic

deeds. In other words, it is

excellence. And may I just suggest I

appreciated the prayers. I appreciated what people have

said. We are frail.

We are, we are not perfect. We are in the flesh.

I love that because we are. We are frail in the flesh.

That's all true and you will never in your life, in your

pursuit of it, you will never be perfect.

Jesus is the only one that was ever perfect.

You know, I remember coaching football.

I remember having football coaches that said we're going to

practice perfect. There's no such thing.

There is no such thing for perfection.

So let's try to never strive for it.

Let's strive for something that is attainable.

You know what that is? Excellence being the best you

can be today. Yeah, you can do that.

You know what that's called? That's called moral excellence

or virtue. Then what Peter says you're

going to add something else too. You're going to add knowledge

that means correct insight. That is this, by the way,

knowledge that is properly understood, comprehended and,

yes, applied. So when people say today what's

true for you is good for you, it's true for me, it's true for

me, and it doesn't matter. And there's no such thing as

absolute truth, not according to the Scriptures.

This word knowledge means that we pursue knowledge that is

correct insight of the word of God that is properly

comprehended, understood and applied in our life.

So that kind of flies in the face of anyone that would say we

can't know the truth. Yeah, we can't.

What else? It's going to lead to

self-control. That means to hold oneself in.

I'm going to tell you, you're going to need that one.

We're going to all need that one.

Holding our self in self-control.

How many times in our life have we wished we would have held our

self in our tongue, in our behaviour in, but we let it fly.

self-control. You're going to need that one.

How about this perseverance in the new King James?

It means endurance. It is the ability, by the way,

to have the courage and the conviction to do what is right

regardless of the opposition. In other words, it's a word that

actually means I'm going to hang in there and I'm not going to

quit, even if it takes my own life.

Do you know the difference between a person that's

courageous and a person that's a coward?

You know what the difference is? The difference between a

courageous person and a coward is our response to fear and

opposition, because everybody's going to have opposition.

Everybody's going to have fear. Your response to it determines

whether you are morally excellent or whether you have

the perseverance, whether you have the ability to do what's

right regardless. Then what?

How about godliness? Let me just say, godliness is

not your personal goodness. I have people that say, oh, he's

godly, the kind of wonderful. No, it's not.

It's not godly. You know what godliness is?

Godliness emphasizes God and not you.

Godliness is literally having a practical awareness of God in

every aspect of your life. In other words, what you're

saying is this. If God, if I have a practical

awareness of God in every aspect of my life, it's going to help

me make better decisions. It will demonstrate itself or

manifest itself in righteous living.

That's on my part, but it's based on not my goodness.

It's based on God's goodness, a practical awareness of God in

every aspect of my life. Then what?

Oh, I got some stuff to do. I got to demonstrate that in

brotherly kindness. That's the word Philadelphia, by

the way. I was born there, but I'm a

Dallas Cowboy fan, so I don't claim it.

OK. And sometimes, because

Philadelphia is called the city of brotherly love, if you ever,

if you ever watch a sporting event in Philadelphia, they're

not necessarily living up to their name, OK?

Brotherly kindness, though, is the way that we ought to

demonstrate our life and our behavior to other people in our

quest for agape love, self sacrificial, selfless love.

OK, that's what they are. Notice how they work in my

pursuit of moral excellence, my quality of life.

I add that to my faith. It's going to be based upon a

correct insight and correct knowledge of the scriptures.

It's going to give me the ability to have self-control, to

hold myself in. It's going to give me the

strength to have perseverance and endurance to do what's

right. It will be based upon a

practical awareness of God in every aspect of my life.

Then I will demonstrate that life in brotherly affection.

All in my quest of agape love, self sacrificial love.

Great stuff. But guess what?

It's not a one way St. It goes the other way too.

And it's not a one time thing. Going to prove it's not a one

time thing in a minute too by the way.

Goes the other way. Watch how it goes the other way.

I think it's beautiful in our quest for self sacrificial love.

I'll demonstrate that in brotherly affection based upon a

practical awareness of God in every aspect of my life.

Give me the strength to endure the ability to have self-control

and hold myself in based upon correct insight of the word of

God in my pursuit of moral excellence.

I'm going to tell you something that is a lifetime worth of

work. And if you're struggling, go

back to these things in your life.

So context Now let's go to the next verse.

For if these things are yours and abound, what things?

Those things. If these things are in you and

abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the

knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wonderful. For he who lacks these things is

short sighted even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was

cleansed from his old sins. Again, context.

Look at the next verse for if you do these things, what

things? Those seven things, OK, And

they're abounding, not just a one time thing.

You will never stumble. I got to let that sink in.

You will never stumble. The King James says you will

never fall. Barnes says it means this.

You will certainly be saved. Remember that song we just sang?

Think of stepping. Now at last we are at home.

Are those just words that we sing or can we really have hope

that we've got eternal life? Are we just saying the words and

hoping it? So you will certainly be saved.

It doesn't mean that you will never sin.

It doesn't mean that you can't fall.

It means you will never sin in such a way if those things are

manifested in your life, you will never fall in such a way to

lose your salvation because you permanently sever your

relationship with God. And that's what it's talking

about. Because you know what?

You're going to stumble. You're going to make mistakes.

Guess what? We get to ask God to forgive us

like our brother prayed a moment ago.

We've already asked for forgiveness and now as we go and

move forward into our worship service to you, I don't know

about you, but man, I try to get in.

Please forgive me of my sins and every prayer.

I want to slip that one in every time.

I mean meal time. I mean driving down the road

time. I mean all time just in case.

Ain't it great to the blood of Christ?

Just knocks that one out too. Ain't that great when you have

the blood of Christ? All right.

Now notice we will never fall in such a way to lose our

salvation. This fits first John chapter 5

1 John 5 · chapter mention

and verse 13. I love this passage.

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of

the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

I've used this passage in other sermons too.

It's a great, great passage. It's a message of assurance.

The word know here in this passage is the Greek word that's

found 13 times in the Epistle of John.

It doesn't mean to hope. It doesn't mean to think.

It doesn't mean to own, just maybe.

It doesn't mean that you grow gradually in the knowledge.

It means this, that you may know in the here and now for certain

that you have eternal life. You got assurance.

Now. There's a difference between

assurance and arrogance. We're not talking about that big

difference, and there's a difference between confidence

and conceit. The passage here is a passage of

assurance, confidence, and certainty, but not audacity or

irreverence or because we've earned it.

Let me just a couple things about that.

First of all, we have to realize when the Bible says this, when

we've done everything that is required of us, what are we?

We are still deemed an unprofitable servant, saved by

grace. Now, if you've ever owned a

business and you've ever had an employee and you've ever taken

that employee and contracted that employee service out to

somebody else, and you pay that employee a certain amount of

money, but then you charge double or more for that person's

services to another client, guess what?

That person is a profitable servant because that person is

actually doing more for you than you're doing for him.

When it comes to salvation, Guess what?

You do everything in the world for Jesus Christ.

It won't matter. You are still an unprofitable

servant saved by grace. Why?

Because you will never do more for Jesus than he's done for

you. Makes sense, right?

I'm not saying once saved, always saved, and I'm not saying

that we deserve or earn our salvation.

We are still an unprofitable servant saved by grace.

That's what I'm saying. But may I also suggest this,

even though we don't believe in the concept or the doctrine of

once saved, always saved, Because we know we can fall from

grace and we know that. Why else would we ask for

forgiveness when we sin? So we know that, but you know,

sadly, sometimes our people believe in the doctrine or act

as though they believe in the doctrine of once saved, forever

lost. If you can't know for certain,

you're not really understanding what the Word of God is saying.

Now, the same author that gave the assurance is the same one

that gave the conditions. First John chapter 2 beginning

1 John 2 · chapter mention

in verse 3. Now by this we know that we know

him. This word no means to know for

certain. This word no means to have a

relationship with. So I know there's a lot of

people that would love to have a relationship with the Lord.

There's a lot of people that think they have a relationship

with the Lord. I love this one passage gives

the assurance now we're going to get some conditions here we go

by this what we'll get to that we know for certain that we have

a relationship with him if what if we keep his commandments.

He who says I know him and does not keep his commandments is a

liar and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word.

Truly the love of God is perfected in him by this we know

that we are in him. First of all, this phrase here

keep his commandments and keep his word is the same thing

because his words are contained in the commandments and his

commandments are contained in his words so they go hand in

hand. Bottom line, keeping means a

perpetual action. It is a continual striving, an

ongoing thing. But I want to notice this phrase

right here. If we do that, the love of God

is perfected in him. Now, some scholars say, and it's

interesting because there's a big divide as to what is John

actually talking about here? Is he talking about man's love

for God is perfected or made complete in our obedience to

him? Or is it God's love for man

being made complete in our obedience to Him?

And there's a number of scholars, there were 12 that

said it's our love for God. And still others noted scholars

say no, it's God's love for man. Why are we arguing in that?

Both, isn't it Both. God so loved the world that He

gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him

should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God loved the world when we were yet sinners, when we were not

worthy in any way, right. His love in giving us salvation

is obviously manifested or made complete by our obedience, so we

can give us salvation. So it's obviously included is

God's love for man. But notice God's love for man.

That's true, but it's also our love for God.

Do you know that you will do greater things out of love than

you will ever do out of obligation or you will ever do

out of fear? And I learned that coaching

football. I was coached old school.

I'm getting up there. I played football in the 70s and

the 80s and I'm going to tell you what we were coached.

Vince Lombardi, old school. They didn't give us any water

because they thought it made your week.

Boy, they know so much better now about hydration.

That was just a ridiculous time, like 1 football player, said.

Vince Lombardi, he treated us all the same, all the same, no

favoritism, treated us all like dogs.

That's the era that I grew up in as a player.

You know what I learned as a coach so many years later when I

was a coach for 12 years? That doesn't work.

If I want to get the most out of a player, I'm going to get the

most out of a player. If he, if it's out of love, if

he loves and respects me more than if he's afraid of me, and

if there's mutual respect, you're going to get more.

Don't you understand that our love for God is completed or

made manifest or perfected as the Scripture says, when we obey

Him, it's demonstrated in our love in action.

In other words, if we do these things, verse 11 for So an

entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting

Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In other words, we supply the virtues and God supplies the

entrance. I've said this before.

You've heard me say it. I'm going to tell you right now,

if I make heaven, I'm not squealing in.

Now, if the only way to get in here and into heaven is squeak

in, I'm in. I'll take it, Brother.

Sister, we're going to blow the doors off.

We're going to have an abundant entrance into the Everlasting

Kingdom. I can't even fathom what that's

going to be like. Come on in, you made it.

Well done, Thou good and faithful servant, enter into the

joys of your Lord. Abundant.

When we supply those 7 virtues in great amounts, then God

supplies the entrance in great amounts too.

That's just Bible all right. How does the everlasting Kingdom

of this passage relate? Going back to the prophecy of

the Kingdom in Daniel chapter 2 and verse 44, Notice in the days

Daniel 2 · chapter mention

of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom

which shall never be destroyed, and the Kingdom shall not be

left to other people. It shall break in pieces and

consume all these kingdoms and notice it will stand forever.

Don't ever think the Kingdom is going anywhere.

It will stand forever. And remember what Jesus said.

My Kingdom is within you. He's reigning in our hearts now.

And you know what? That ain't going anywhere.

Don't ever think that the Kingdom is going anywhere.

Sometimes we go to places. Sometimes the congregations of

the body of Christ dwindle down and we close doors.

But if you think about it, somebody actually did a survey.

When you think about the total number of Christians in the

Kingdom, it's the same. Maybe they've moved to other

places, maybe people have died, maybe more have been converted.

But don't think for a minute the Kingdom is going anywhere.

Why? Bible says it's going to stand

forever. All right, in Daniel chapter 2

Daniel 2 · chapter mention

and verse 44, this is talking about the Kingdom that would be

established and was established in Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

In second Peter chapter 1, the everlasting Kingdom is the same

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

Kingdom that Jesus is going to give to his Father when he comes

back. So to be in the Kingdom then got

to be in the Kingdom now. And you know what?

It's going to stand forever. That's beautiful.

Notice, remember Daniel prophesied hundreds of years

before the establishment of the Kingdom that this great event

would take place #2 Peter in our passage is discussing events

that will transpire when at the end of the world.

OK, but during the time between Daniel's prophecy and Peter's

writing, notice the following 5 facts this happened 1.

Daniel, Joel, and Isaiah all prophesied about the

establishment of the Kingdom. 2 Many years later, here comes the

forerunner, John the Baptist, the Lord's cousin.

He preached that the Kingdom of heaven is in hand #3 During his

ministry, Jesus preached that some standing there would not

taste death until they saw the Kingdom coming with power.

Then Acts 2 Peter invites men to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ,

resulting in their being added to the church by the Lord.

Acts 2 and 47. And finally, from Acts 2 on, the

Kingdom is spoken of as being in existence, as evident by Paul's

teaching in Colossians 1, Hebrews 12, and John's teaching

in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 9.

Revelation 1 · chapter mention

Not going to be a future Kingdom.

Not going to be an earthly Kingdom coming.

Kingdom has already come. We don't pray for a future

Kingdom. It's already here.

And by the way, the only future reign of Jesus is in the heart

of somebody that doesn't know Him yet and someday comes to

Jesus and then Jesus will reign in that person's heart when they

come to the Kingdom too. But there won't be another

Kingdom. It's this Kingdom.

And the everlasting Kingdom that Peter talks about is the same

Kingdom we're in now that he's going to add add a give to his

father on that day. Paul said it this way, First

Corinthians 15 and 24. Then comes the end when he

delivers the Kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to

all rule and all authority and all power.

In other words, it's everlasting.

Because of this, those who are saved will have no worries, and

those that are lost, they'll have no hope.

You know one of the greatest things about the Kingdom, the

church, the body of Christ. One of the greatest things about

being a part of that is as long as you still have life and you

have breath, it is not too late. A person can come to Jesus at

the latter stages of their life. A person can be away from the

Lord. And by the way, sometimes we

phrase it like this. We talk about when people drift

or people go away or fall away. We kind of sometimes, and let's

be careful of our wording, please.

Sometimes we phrase it like this.

We phrase it kind of like they left our club.

It's not a club when people fall away.

Please get this. They're not leaving the club,

they're leaving the Lord, and I don't care how long that is, as

long as they still have breath in life, they can come back to

the Lord and get right. And you know something, the

beautiful thing about it is there's always hope.

But when time shall be no more and we make heaven, we got no

worries. We're never losing it ever.

Never losing salvation, ever. But those that are lost,

unfortunately, have no hope. That's why it is everlasting.

OK, so that's that passage. That passage is talking about.

Our first text is talking about the end of time.

It's talking about the Judgement day.

It's talking about when time shall be no more.

And that's the abundant entrance.

But let's go to first Peter 4 and 18, and let's notice what

that's saying here. Is this talking about the end of

time? For the time has come for

judgement to begin at the House of God.

And if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those

who do not obey the gospel of God?

Now if the righteous 1 is scarcely saved, where will the

ungodly and the Sinner appear? Here's my question.

Is this passage talking about the end of time?

No, it is not. Let me just tell you what I've

heard my whole life. If the righteous or baptized

believers, by the way, I'm going to prove all this, I promise.

If baptized believers are going to with difficulty be saved,

even some interpreting it like this, if baptized believers,

only a few of them are going to make it, then the Sinner and the

ungodly have no chance at all. I've heard it interpreted like

that my whole life. Here's my question, folks.

Why would Peter, same author, why would Peter, divinely

inspired by the same Holy Spirit, say in one passage, if

we do these things and they're abounding in us in our life,

we're not going to be barren, we won't be unfruitful in the

knowledge of Jesus Christ. We will never stumble, and we

will have an abundant entrance in the everlasting Kingdom.

Why would Peter say we're going to have that in one passage and

in another passage say they barely make it because that

passage is not talking about the end of time?

Stay with me, please. Context.

When did Peter write this about AD 65?

What was going on in AD 65? Many Christians were being

persecuted in AD 65 as they were pointing toward or looking to an

event that was going to happen in AD 70.

So Peter is making reference in this context in this passage in

AD 65, writing these words about an event that's going to happen

in AD 70. What was that event?

The destruction of Jerusalem, The destruction of Jerusalem.

You know, Matthew talked about the destruction of Jerusalem.

Matthew's account describes it as Jesus spoke these words.

Let's notice please. Jesus predicted the destruction

of the temple. Notice.

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his

disciples came up to show him the buildings of the temple.

And Jesus said to them, do you not see all these things?

Assuredly I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon

another that shall not be cast down.

Then there were 7 signs by the way of the end of time and the

end of the at the end of the times and the end of the age in

verse 3. Now as he sat on the Mount of

Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us

when these things be and what will be the sign of your coming

and the end of the age. In other words, three questions.

1 of it you, you got to stick to context or we get a little

messed up. Three questions, one event.

Notice what they are. Jesus then said this.

Well, first of all, here's the questions.

Tell us when these things be question #2 and what will be the

sign of your coming and #3 the end of the age.

And why did they ask that? Because Jesus just said that.

What did Jesus do about the things that he was just now

talking about? He gave 5 remote signs and one

immediate sign. Here are the remote signs.

Number one, false Christs. And Jesus answered and said to

them, take heed that no one deceives you.

For many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will

deceive many. What he's saying is I'm going to

give you 5 signs that are remote, but the end is not yet

for what? The destruction of Jerusalem

about. What about the things he's

talking about? The beginning of the chapter I'm

going to give you 5 signs. One of those signs, there's

going to be false Christs. Many are going to come in my

name and saying that they're me and they're going to deceive

many. What about this one?

Oh, and people get this out of whack.

It's amazing to me how many people don't know anything about

Jesus, but they know everything about Matthew 24 and the Book of

Revelation and the end of the world.

Somebody said to me the other day, hey, can we talk about

Revelation? I said, sure, as soon as we

learn about Jesus, let's do that first.

Let's talk about Jesus first. Let's learn the Gospel first.

We'll get into all that, but it seems to me that people think

that they're an expert regarding the end of time.

And one of the reasons is because they misunderstand

Matthew 24 as being signs or predictions to the end of the

world. And this may ring a bell because

of today's things going on, but there's going to be wars.

Oh, wars. I knew it was coming.

Better sell our possessions to go to the mountain.

Hey, we got a war going on, even a 12 day one.

Matthew 24 and six. You will hear of wars and rumors

of wars. See that you are not troubled

for all these things must come to pass.

Please notice. But the end is not yet.

That was the second thing. How about the third thing?

There's going to be famines, Matthew 24, seven, and eight,

for a nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against

Kingdom. And there will be famines,

pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

And notice these are the beginning of sorrows.

What else #4 there's going to be affliction, Matthew 24, nine,

and 10. Then they will deliver you up to

tribulation and kill you and be hated by all nations for My

namesake. And then many will be offended,

will betray one another, and will hate one another.

And then #5 this proves, by the way, this is in the 1st century.

It proves it. Divine inspiration, I'm talking

about miraculous divine inspiration will come before the

destruction of Jerusalem that Jesus is talking about.

Mark 13 and 11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up,

do not worry beforehand or premeditate that you will speak,

but whatever is given you in that hour, speak that.

For it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

Notice Luke's account, Luke 2114 and 15.

Therefore, settle it in your hearts not to meditate

beforehand on what you will answer for I will give you a

mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to

contradict. This proves this had to have

happened in the 1st century in the age of Miracles, before the

Word of God was completed, because they've received the

miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit divinely only in the 1st

century. As one man put it this way, I'll

just give somebody else a little credit.

So you don't think I just said it.

These men were to speak with the Holy Spirit's supernatural

guidance, and no man has had that power since the 1st

century. OK, so before the gospel was

preached to the whole world, I mean, I'm sorry, before

Jerusalem fell, the gospel was preached to the entire world

before Jerusalem fell. And by the way, sometimes we

think we can't get the gospel to the whole world.

I'm going to tell you what they had Chariots and sandals, man.

We got airplanes. We got podcasts.

You know, our podcast here. I can no longer travel abroad

and preach in the Philippines anymore.

I've been there 15 times. My work now has to be because my

health has to be America. But I'm going to tell you right

now, our podcast that cost us nothing is reaching 110

countries. We are preaching the gospel to

the world. So don't think it's not possible

to preach the gospel to the world.

And you know what, Before Jerusalem fell in 8070, they did

it then. Wow, it's amazing to me they did

it then. Notice Matthew 24 and 14.

And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the

world as a witness to all the nations and notice, and then the

end will come. All of these are remote signs.

OK, remote signs. Now we've got one immediate

sign, Matthew 24 and 15. Notice, therefore, when you see

the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet

standing in the holy place. And by the way, the holy place

is Jerusalem. When you see it in Jerusalem.

And Luke leaves out, no doubt by the way, as to an immediate sign

through 21, beginning in verse 20.

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know

that it's desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea

flee to the mountains, Let those who are in the midst of her

depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.

For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which

are written may be fulfilled. Now, some people have

misunderstood this and have sold their possessions.

I remember, man, I think me and Tina, we've been married 34

years now. And I remember it was our 25th

anniversary. We took a little trip and I

remember it happened on that weekend.

There was a fellow, he's dead now, but he predicted the end of

time. And when he did, he did this

mathematical formula and calculation, all this stuff.

People literally gave their possessions away.

They sold their possessions. This guy's in California too, by

the way. And everybody went to a place, a

mountain there waiting for the Lord to come back, only to have

to come back down the mountain and go back home,

misunderstanding that right there.

You can't know when the end of time is, folks, because the

Bible says from the words of Jesus, nobody knows but my

Father. Only you can't predict it.

You can't see it coming. It's going to come as a thief in

the night. It is.

Now, there are things in the Scriptures that tell us that

things are going to get bad and worse, and we get that.

But you can't see, oh, wait a minute.

These events happened. Chris and I were having a Bible

study at Starbucks one time. Right after that, we had an

earthquake here in Bakersfield. You probably remember that.

Yeah. And this guy and I just made a

comment. I said, yeah, Somebody said to

me today that I was telling Chris I didn't know anybody else

was listening. I said, somebody said, yeah, at

earthquakes and the time's coming.

So I told Chris that we were laughing and this guy walks by,

He goes, Amen. He believed it, too,

misunderstanding these passages. OK, we're wrapping up, so stay

with me. Jesus spoke these words when?

By AD 33, Fast forward to AD 65, five years before the

destruction of Jerusalem that Jesus foretold about, and you

know what's on Peter's mind? Persecution.

That's what's on his mind as his pen was guided by the Holy

Spirit and spreads ink on parchment.

He says this, beloved, do not think it's strange concerning

the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing

happened to you, but rejoice to the extent that you partake of

Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may

be also glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the

name of Christ, blessed are you for the spirit of glory and of

God rests upon you. On their parties blasphemed, on

your parties glorified. But let none of you suffer as a

murderer, a thief, an evil doer, or a busy body in other people's

matters. Let if anyone suffers as a

Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God

in this matter. OK, persecutions on his mind.

8060 fives on his mind, pointing toward 8070.

Then the next verse context for the time has come for judgment

to begin at the House of God. And if it begins with us first,

what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of

God? And then he says this.

For if the righteous 1 is scarcely saved, where will the

ungodly and the Sinner appear? First of all, the word scarcely

means with difficulty. It's what it means.

James McKnight says it this way. That's this is what he's talking

about when God thus punishes the nation.

If the righteous Jews who believe in Christ with

difficulty can be saved, where will the ungodly and the sinful

part of the nation show themselves saved from divine

judgement? Josephus's report I love this.

In the destruction of Jerusalem, Josephus said that 1.1 million

Jews perished. 100,000 Jews were taken captive in the destruction

of Jerusalem. And yet while the Jews suffered

starvation, slaughter and capture, I love this, all of

their fellow Christians escaped. I can't even say that.

Every time I say that I get the chills.

I just, You think that's an accident?

He went on to say, for whatever reason, the Roman armies pulled

back and every Christian got out.

You know what that is? That's the righteous scarcely

being saved in the destruction of Jerusalem.

Notice all of their fellow Christians got out.

Second Peter 189 For if these things are yours and abound, you

will be neither barren. Going back to our passage, you

will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of

our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is

short sighted even to blindness, and has forgotten they was

cleansed from those sins. Again this passage, the end of

time. Other passage, destruction of

Jerusalem. Notice in this passage in verse

10, if you do these things that are found in the seven Christian

graces, please get that you will never stumble and an entrance

will be supplied you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of

our Lord Jesus Christ. I don't know, Come on now, I got

to get you. I can know I'm saved, and so can

you. Not because you've earned it,

not because you checked the list, but because, as John says,

you've kept his words, you've kept his commandments, you've

applied these things in your life, and here's the practical

pattern. You're not going to fall away

and you're going to be saved. That is some of the most

encouraging things I could ever think about in my life.

I hope it is for you too. Just know this in order to

understand the Bible, and I'm finished, but in order to

understand the Scriptures, you got to be very careful with

somebody cherry picking verses here and cherry picking one over

there and then drawing a conclusion that's not based on

context. If you want to understand the

Scriptures, you got to study context in order to make the

right application. If you got the wrong context,

you will automatically have the wrong application.

Understanding those two passages in application, one ain't

referring to us, the other is let's focus on that abundant

entrance into the everlasting Kingdom.

But how do you do it? What's the first thing you got

to do? Remember I said the love of God

is perfected in our obedience, That is our love for God and

God's love for us. So the first thing we got to do,

we got to obey. What's the first thing we got to

obey? We got to obey the gospel.

How do you do that? First thing you do is hear the

Word of God. Romans 10/17 So faith comes by

hearing and hearing by the word of God What else you got to

believe with all your heart. Hebrews 11 and 6.

Without faith it's impossible to please Him, for he who comes to

God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those

who diligently seek Him. Then I got to make a change.

I got to do something else in my life, not just believing.

I got to lead my life in such a way way of change which is what

it's called repentance of my sins.

Acts 17 and 30. Truly these times of ignorance

got overlooked but now commands all men everywhere to repent.

Now I'm ready to make the greatest statement I will ever

make and that is to confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

Acts 837. Then Peter said if if you

believe with all your heart you may.

And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the

Son of God. Upon taking these steps you're a

fit candidate to go to the point of salvation to contact the

blood of Jesus and have your sins washed away by being

baptized for the remission of sins.

Mark 1616. He who believes in his baptized

will be saved. He who does not believe will be

condemned. Is it necessary?

First Peter 321 The light figure where in the even baptism doth

also now save us, not the putting away the filth of the

flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the

resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you've never taken those

steps, we'd love to assist you in that.

But maybe you have. Maybe there's just something in

your life. It's not what it should be.

All right, fix it, repent of that.

Confess that. We'll pray with you and for you,

and God will forgive and restore.

If you want to be the class, come forward while we stand and

while we see.