Series Details
Chuck Swindoll’s sermon series on 2 Peter, often titled “Conquering Through Conflict,” focuses on the apostle Peter’s final words to a church facing both external persecution and internal deception. As Peter anticipates his own execution, he writes with a sense of urgency to “rattle the cages” of believers and prepare them for the spiritual battles ahead.
The series is built around several core themes and sections:
1. Cultivating Spiritual Maturity
The series begins by exploring how believers can become “useful and fruitful” in their faith. Swindoll emphasizes Peter’s list of eight Christian virtues (starting with faith and ending with love) as essential checkpoints for measuring spiritual growth. The core message here is that diligence in character development is the best defense against falling away.
2. Guarding Against False Teachers
A significant portion of the series is dedicated to Peter’s “truth-telling mission” regarding counterfeit leaders. Swindoll provides an exposé on how to identify “counterfeit communicators” who exploit the church with “sweet words” and heresies. He highlights the “if-then” framework of God’s judgment: if God did not spare the angels or the ancient world, He will certainly deal with those who distort the Gospel.
3. The Sufficiency of Scripture
Swindoll reinforces Peter’s teaching that the Word of God is the only sure, authoritative source of truth. He discusses the importance of Peter’s eyewitness testimony of Christ’s glory (the Transfiguration) as a reason to trust the prophetic Word over subjective myths or experiences.
4. Living in Light of the “Day of the Lord”
The series concludes by looking toward the future. Swindoll explains that while skeptics may scoff at the delay of Christ’s return, God is actually showing patience so that more might come to repentance. This prophetic outlook is used not to cause fear, but to inspire believers to live holy and blameless lives “in troubled times.”
Key Messages in the Series:
- A Letter That Rattles Our Cage: An introduction to the urgency of Peter’s final warnings.
- Be Sure of Your Source: A call to rely on the inspired revelation of Scripture alone.
- The God of Wrath and Rescue: A study on how God balances mercy for the righteous with judgment for the wicked.
- How to Live in Troubled Times: A concluding wrap-up on staying diligent, on guard, and growing in grace.
Overall Goal: Swindoll’s aim in this series is to move Christians from a state of “stumbling” to a state of “standing firm” by deepening their knowledge of Jesus Christ and anchoring their lives in biblical truth.
A Letter that Rattles Our Cage This video introduces the series by exploring why Peter felt such urgency to stir up the church and find hope in God’s promises before his death.
