Forest Park Church Sermons

Peter, who rebuked the scoffer for deliberately overlooking the truth, turns to the faithful Christian and reminds them not to overlook the certainty of Christ’s return. Peter also recognizes that the faithful Christian will have questions about the return of Christ, especially after the seeds of doubt sown by the false teachers. We will examine the apparent delay, what Christ will do, and what sort of people we should be. 

Peter turns his attention to the content of these false teachers’ teachings. These false teachers deny the return of Christ. Peter is going to encourage us to remember the truth of God’s Word and the Gospel we have come to believe, warn us of the dangers of scoffers who sow seeds of doubt, and provide us with evidence of God’s involvement in human history. 

Luke 2:21–38 takes us beyond the manger to the temple, where Simeon and Anna meet the long-awaited Messiah. Their response—faithful obedience, Spirit-led praise, and boldproclamation—teaches us that hope fulfilled in Christ isn’t the end of the story; it’s the beginning of a life that worships and witnesses. Today we’ll explore how Jesus makes obedience and intimacy with God possible—and how we can respond with gratitude and courage to share the good news.

In the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, a pattern of twos emerges: expectant mothers, two infants, two songs of praise, and two birth narratives. There is a central theme in this pattern: Great mercy comes from a great God through His great Savior. As we take a closer look at the birth of John and the song of praise and prophecy from Zechariah, we will see the effects and the implications of God’s mercy.

In our passage, Luke combines these two separate birth announcements of John and Jesus by showing us what happened when these two mothers encountered each other. Usually, when pregnant women meet, they naturally discuss their expected babies. From maternity leave, birthing plans, car seats, and baby clothes. But these women, in joy and filled with the Holy Spirit, speak about the Lord’s favor, His faithfulness in fulfilling His promises, and are looking forward to the great reversal that Mary’s son (Jesus) would usher in.

Luke turns our attention to the announcement of Jesus’ birth, as we compare it with the announcement of John’s birth. We will discover that the mighty work God had done in John’s conception would be surpassed by an even greater miracle in the conception of Jesus. This leads us to ask, “What does it mean, and how should we respond?

As Advent begins, we open the Gospel of Luke with the story of Zechariah—a faithful man caught in a long season of silence. But in that silence, God was not absent. He was preparing something beautiful. This week’s message, “Hope in the Silence,” reminds us that waiting is not wasted, and that God often does His deepest work in the quiet. For the believer, it’s a call to trust again, to listen again, and to prepare room for Jesus. For the seeker, it’s an invitation to consider that the ache in your soul is actually a longing for the One who came to bring peace, joy, and hope. So come ready to reflect, respond, and begin this Advent season with your eyes fixed on Jesus—the One who came, and the One who will come again.

In our passage, Peter continues to address false teachers by raising a question that many of us have: How is it that, as false teachers seem to be succeeding, it appears God remains silent while they distort God’s Word and lead people astray? Peter will answer this question and show us that their judgment is coming soon. He will also equip his readers to recognize a false teacher by their character and teachings. 

As Peter directly addresses false teachers, one wonders whythe Lord allows them to infiltrate the church. The Christian life is hardenough in dealing with the world, our flesh, and the devil; now we need to dealwith false teachers as well. How do we discern between a false and a trueteacher?

In Peter’s last letter, he makes clear that he will soon facedeath, and Peter wants to leave his readers with a final reminder of what he has taught about the gospel of Jesus Christ: The return of Christ in glory. Peter is going to provide us with two witnesses to establish the truthfulness of Christ’s return in glory—the witness of the apostles and the prophetic word.