Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayerful attention to 2 Peter chapter 3, the chapter
that we read, and reading for our text just a few words from
verse 7. In verse 7, we read these words
by the same word. by the same word. The whole verse
reads, but the heavens and the earth, which are now by the same
word, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of
judgment and perdition of ungodly men. So the words in the beginning,
in the middle of our text, are the same word. We read how that
the heavens and the earth were created by the word of God. He spake and it was done. He formed the earth and all that
is in it, the heavens and all that is placed in them, and it
was all done by the word of God. We are reminded in this portion
that things have not just continued on from the beginning of the
world until now. There was the flood, Noah's flood,
and that took away that world, as it were, all but eight persons. We read in verse 6, whereby the
world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. Now the
emphasis that is put here is not by the same word that created,
the same word then caused the flood and caused the destruction,
Though of course it was by God's command, it was by his word,
but the emphasis here is the continuance of the world. God said that the world would
not be destroyed by water or flood, overwhelming the whole
world again. He gives the rainbow as a sign
and token of that, when he brings the rain upon the earth, a cloud
over the earth, Then I do set my blow in the cloud, I will
look upon it, and I will remember my covenant with all flesh. And we have a constant reminder
of that. The Lord is looking at it, the
Lord is remembering his promise, his word, that this world will
be continuing, it will be maintained, but it is only being maintained
and continuing as reserved to a day of fire. There will be
a day of fire. There will be a day of judgment. There will be a day of perdition
of ungodly men. And we are told in the verse
where our text is, these heavens and the earth that the Lord created
and those that stand now after the flood, by the same Word by
which they were created, by that same Word they are kept in store. The Apostle says, in Him we live
and move and have our being. God has not just created and
then just leaves the world to just go on or leave it to man's
whim and to man's works and deeds. No, He maintains it. He opens His hand and satisfies
the desire of every living thing. He causes His rain to rain upon
the just and unjust, and the sun to shine upon them as well,
those that fear Him and those that fear Him not. The Lord does
those things. He gives us those fruitful seasons,
filling our hearts with joy and with gladness. This world is
maintained By the Lord it is dependent upon him. Our Lord
points to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field.
He says, consider the fowls of the air, they neither toil nor
have seed, house nor barn, and yet your heavenly Father feedeth
them, i.e. not much better than the sparrows. And the emphasis here, That same
Word that created, that same Word maintains, by the same Word,
are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment
and petition of ungodly men. Well then, it is this word that
is upon my spirit by this same word. I want to just look at
it in several aspects for maybe this evening. And first beginning
with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We've sung of him as
the Word. We read in John, in the beginning
was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was with
God. And the written and the incarnate
word are one and the same. The Lord says, I am the Lord,
I change not, wherefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. And the fact that it is the same
word, the same God, is the reason why man is not consumed, is why
the earth continues. We read in Hebrews, Jesus Christ,
the same, yesterday and today and forever. And this word then,
by the Word of God, the Word, the same Word, by the same Word,
it is by the same Jesus, by the same Word of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, by the same Gospel, by the same Inspirer of the Word,
the same Giver of the Word, the Lord gave the Word. Great was
the company of them that published it. It is the same Word, the
same Word that is given. If a ministry is faithful, it
is the same Word that is given that is published. We are not to put, as it were,
the Word in the hand of an unfaithful messenger. but that word is to
come pure. You know the Bereans, they were
saved, they were blessed, because when Paul preached the word to
them, they searched the scriptures daily whether these things were
so. What was their question? Is it
the same word? The same word that is written,
the same word that is preached. The Lord Jesus Christ does not
change. His word does not change. Heaven
and earth shall pass away, says our Lord, but my word shall not
pass away. It is the same word. And this then is a great comfort
for the people of God. The devil cannot come in and
say, well, this is the 21st century. You can't rely on the word of
God. You can't rely on what is written
for today. Yes, you can. The Lord hasn't
changed. He says, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world. And thy word is settled in heaven
forever. It doesn't change. The Lord doesn't
change. Hath he said and shall he not
do it? And so when we come as seekers,
when we come seeking for the Lord's blessing and leaning upon
the word and faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word
of God. When we read of that long cloud
of witnesses in Hebrews 11 that lived and died by faith, faith
upon the Word of God, we are to run that same race. We are
compassed with that cloud of witnesses and a present cloud
of the brethren round about us that are looking for that same
Word, leaning upon that same Word, the same Word that was
preached and went forth from Jerusalem, those living waters
that half went to the hinder sea and half to the former sea,
half to the Gentiles, half to the Jews. That same word flows
forth and it is the word of power. I have given them thy word, says
our Lord, and the world hath hated them. And it is the word
of God. that liveth and standeth for
ever." Now, we put that again to a soul that has been blessed. The Lord passing by His people,
bidding them live, quickening them into life by the Word, the
same as the creation was brought into existence by the Word of
God, so it is that God's children are quickened into life by the
Word. The Lord said to Lazarus, when
he was dead, Lazarus come forth, and Lazarus came forth. Those that are born again of
the Spirit are born through the word of God. And when that word
is given, then it is not just for quickening, it is not just
in the beginning, but it is to maintain. If in the context here,
the Lord says, By that word the earth was created, and by the
same word it is maintained and reserved. So we may say, by the
word the people of God were quickened and made alive. By that same
word they are kept alive. The Lord said, except you eat
the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no
life in you. Man shall not live by bread only,
but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Thy
words were found, says Jeremiah, and I did eat them. They were
to the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Man needs that life-giving
word, and that word that quickened him, that is the word that keeps
alive the people of God, not reserved as this world most solemnly
is for destruction, but reserved unto God's heavenly kingdom. Preserved for that day, when
the Lord shall make up his jewels, kept by the power of God unto
salvation, ready to be revealed at the last day. Paul says, if
while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, How much more being
reconciled shall we be saved through His life? We shall, because
it is the same Word, by that same Word, the same Word, the
same Jesus, His same Word, His same Gospel, that same power,
Jesus Christ the same, yesterday and today and forever. May we truly be convinced of
this. We look for no other word. We don't look for a new gospel,
another way, a different way, but the same way and the same
word. The same word of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Now the Lord is known by His
voice. My sheep, they hear my voice. And they follow me. We think
of when the Lord spoke to Eli by Samuel. And Samuel greatly
feared to tell to Eli what the Lord had said because the word
was against Eli's house, against his wicked sons. But what Samuel
did not know was that another of the Lord's servants had already
come. and spoken that word to Eli. Samuel didn't know that. Eli
knew that Samuel didn't know that. And yet here is Samuel
bringing the same word. And so Eli says, it is the Lord. Let him do what seemeth him good. He recognized it was the Lord
because it was the same message, the same word, painful though
it was, hard though it was. the Lord does confirm the words
of his servants. By the same word, remember the
time when David was dying, King David, and Solomon had been told
that the throne was him, but Adonijah rose up and he was going
to take the kingdom And Nathan came to Bathsheba and said, knowest
thou not, if he takes the kingdom, then he will kill you and he
will kill Solomon. And he says, now you go in and
you tell David what is happening. Let him know what is happening.
And then when you've finished, I will come in and I will confirm
your words. I will say the same words, the
same message. So that David knew that it was
true. In the mouth of two or three
witnesses, let every word be established. And the word of
God is established. And it is established in the
gospels of many witnesses. And in those that are called
and quickened by God, they testify of what the word is to them. Thy word hath quickened me."
The Word of God has made us alive. And so we can't really separate
our Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, the written Word, His Word,
His Word of power, His Word of authority. And that Word then
is to be a comfort for the people of God. It's not their mind,
it's not their power, it's not their strength that maintains
them. It is the Lord bringing again
that same Word, visiting us again with that same Word, by the same
Word. But now I want to look at three
occasions in the Word where Word was the same Word, by the same And the first is that of John
the Baptist. In the Gospel according to Matthew
and chapter 11, we have the account of John Baptist in prison. Now he, at the beginning of his
ministry, could clearly point out the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Lamb of God, that should come into the world. Yet here he is in prison and
in a very, very low place in his soul. We read in verse two
in Matthew 11, now when John had heard in prison the works
of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said unto him,
aren't thou he that should come? or do we look for another? Jesus
answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those
things which ye do hear and see. The blind receive their sight,
and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear,
the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them,
and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended. in me." Dear
John needed that same word. He'd already heard about all
of these things that the Lord was doing, that's why he sent
to the Lord. But he needed that word again,
and as an answer to his inquiry, and he needed it with power. It's one thing to Hear of the
Word is another thing when it comes with the express command
of the Lord to our souls. Do we know the difference between
the Word without power and the Word with power? Paul says to
the Thessalonian church that the Word came not in word only,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. And so Here it
is a word that is revisited with power. The things that the Lord
is doing, revisited with power, reminded again of the same word. Sometimes we can look at words
that we've been blessed through from years ago, and we look at
them and think, well, how were we blessed under that? How did
that make a change? I don't see anything special
in that anymore. I remember what it was, but it
doesn't move, it doesn't touch my heart, it doesn't do anything
for me. But to have just that same word
visited with the power of God, the blessing of the Lord, what
a difference that makes. The word unto thy servant upon
which thou didst cause me to hope. The prayers of the scripture,
the very sacred prayers. And the Lord has said, the Holy
Spirit shall be the remembrancer to bring all things to your remembrance
whatsoever I have said unto you. Not a new word. I always think
of this, Blessings are not always new blessings. But a blessing
can be, and many times it has, and I know it has with myself,
been a blessing when the Lord has remembered that to us. And it's been remembered with
sweetness and power and unction. Sometimes we can get just a little
touch in that way. One of the dear brethren I was
with today in his prayer, he asked that we might have just
a little reviving. And immediately my mind went
to when the Lord so blessed me with that word, a little reviving
in our bondage. And just for a few moments as
that dear brother prayed, I was so encouraged, so lifted up,
I thought, that is what we need. The Lord gave that to me years
ago. That's how I came to come in
the ministry and my bonds loosed. And that's what we need now.
And it's lovely to have that unexpected, reviving word. I didn't know he was going to
pray in that way and didn't expect it, but suddenly it comes. and
the memory goes back, and just a little sweetness, soon gone,
but the remembrance is there, and in a way it's a fresh blessing,
a fresh shining upon the word. So, John the Baptist, and a revisited
word, a word again with power, unction upon it, Not just hearing
what others have to say, but the Lord speaking that word into
our souls again. His direct commission, go and
show John again those things which you do hear and see. Show
them, tell them to him again. Not fresh, not something different,
but again, again. And so that is the word of our
text here, by the same word. Is that what you want? What I
want, what I need? The same word, same word again,
but with the authority of heaven and from the Lord. Well the next one I bring before
you is the occasion when the word was first sent to the Gentiles. And there is a remarkable thing
in Acts 10 in Peter's sermon when Peter and he knew very clearly
by the sheep that was let down and the Lord's word to him to go
without doubting with those men to preach the word to the Gentiles. This is going to be the equivalent
time to Acts 2, the day of Pentecost is 10 years after, but is a time
when the Holy Spirit shall fall again with Peter preaching and
the blessing of the Spirit upon them. But the thing that he says
to them in Acts chapter 10 and verse 37, or if you read from
verse 36, the word which God sent unto the children of Israel,
preaching peace by Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all. That word,
I say, He knows. which was published throughout
all Judea and began from Galilee after the baptism which John
preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost
and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that
were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him. We are
witnesses of all things which he did. in the land of the Jews
and in Jerusalem, whom he slew and hanged on a tree. Him God
raised up the third day and showed him openly, not to all the people,
but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us. And he speaks
these words. But the thing that so struck
me as he preaches this gospel, as he sets forth what our Lord
accomplished, At Calvary, his sufferings, his death, his resurrection,
verse 42, is commissioned to them to preach unto the people. He says to Cornelius and to his
household, that word I say ye know is not bringing anything
new. And you know there is many Many
in our congregations, those that have been brought up under the
sound of the truth, this could be said of them. That word I
say ye know. They could tell you the naked
truths of the gospel. They've heard it week after week. They've heard about the death
of our Lord, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension into
heaven. They've heard the doctrines of
grace. And it may be said, that word
you know. So how can they be blessed? Are we to change the gospel?
Are we trying to bring a different word? I know sometimes, and I
had it years ago, I went over to New Zealand, dear brethren,
hear the word preached there. And the ministers, faithful ministers,
were the Netherland Reform Congregations, different denomination to us,
so they used different words, different phrases, different
way of putting things. And when I first heard it, and
I thought, ooh, is that really right? Is that really true? And
I go back to the caravan we were staying in, the minister's garden,
and had to search the scriptures. And I had some sermons as well
of our own people, Warburton sermons. I thought, well, I'll
just see whether that is the same. And I read them, and yes,
it was the same. But I'd been gospel-hardened
or hardened to that phraseology and that way of setting forth
things. But because it was set forth
different, then that really registered. And we can, we can get hardened. Gospel hardened, ministers. We
often, in prayer, sometimes we might start a phrase and you
might sit in the view and you say, I know what's gonna come
for the next minute or so, because he always prays like that. And
the same with the preaching as well. And we get hardened. But we don't want a different
word. We want the same word, which word ye know. But we want
the power with it, the authority with it. We want the Lord to
do what he did with Cornelius. The Holy Spirit fell and blessed
them. And those that believed, they
were baptized. And so we don't want, even if
we have been brought up under the truth and are very familiar
with it, we don't want another word. It is by the same word. But we need the power. We need
the authority. And thus saith the Lord. We need
the Lord's light to shine upon it. We need his blessing to be
upon it. Well then lastly, the same word,
the same preached word, and the different effect that it has. And I know this is very similar
to what we've just brought before you. But when we think in Acts
28 and verse 24, we read the effect of those that were hearing
the word preached and set forth and expounded to them, some believed
the things which were spoken and some believed not. And God has ordered this in the
churches. Those that are saved and those
that are lost, they hear the same word. There shall be never
those at the last Judgment Day saying, well, you preached a
different thing to us. It is the same word. We had an
interesting occasion years ago over in Holland where one of
the dear Lord's servants, he knew we were in the congregation,
we couldn't understand Dutch, so he kindly spoke to us in English
at each point he raised. But afterwards some of the children
who knew Dutch and English said he didn't tell them the same
as us. Well how much was different we
don't know because we didn't know the Dutch, but it was an
interest. Obviously, telling it in English
to us, he had to summarize it tremendously. He couldn't, the
length of time he was speaking to them in Dutch, he couldn't
speak to us in English. But it was an interesting thing. Not the same as he told us, but
that will never be so with those on the last Judgment Day. There
won't be some that are saying, well, We've been told a different
gospel, a different word, because we'll be those in the same congregation,
in the same people, hearing the same minister, the same word. And yet some believed and some
believed not. We read in another place that
as many as were ordained unto eternal life believed. Sometimes we might be very perplexed,
why? Why don't people receive our
testimony? Why don't they see what we see? Why don't they respond to the
Word as we do? Or maybe the other way around,
you see the brethren blessed and favoured, and yet you think,
well, I didn't see anything in that Word. I wasn't blessed with
that Word. It's the same Word. What makes
the difference? God makes the difference. Again,
the power, the authority. the prepared ground, the word
that drops in and brings forth fruit. In Matthew 13, our Lord
speaks of that parable which he says is a key parable. If you know not this parable,
how shall you not know all parables? Because the parable of the soward
is the same seed, and yet four different grounds, and had a
different effect. in every one of them, but really
only one, bring forth fruit. The same word, the same seed,
but only one fruit. And we read in that, the one
that brought forth fruit, the great difference with the other
ones, they understood the word. When the Lord ascended or came
from the grave, resurrection, appeared to the disciples, he
opened their understanding, that they might understand these scriptures. The same word, how many a testimony
laid up in the church record books, and I know we have here
at Cranbrook one that we received years ago, was that when the
Lord blessed them, then the Bible became a new book. The hymn book
became a new book. It was the same word. But the
Lord had changed their heart and opened their ears and made
it so sweet and sacred and we know what that is. The years
are sat dead and unmoved by the Word in days of unregeneracy
and yet now that same Word has been sweet, blessed and powerful. By the same Word, So may the
Lord bless the word tonight. May he bless our souls, encourage
us in it. And when we read a passage or
a minister gives out a passage, as I have read that many times,
I know what's in that passage, we almost turn off. But may we
not. May we think this same word. Lord, bless it to me. Favour
me in it. Shine upon it. Shine in my heart. And where the Lord has blessed
us before, may we look upon that same word and ask again that
the Lord would come and revisit that word and bless our souls
by the same.