2 Peter 3:2-15

Peace will Prevail

English Standard Version Chapter 3

you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Final Words

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation

bad news:

scoffers, mockers

they sow doubt into God’s people and world by their own ignorance and disbelief

where is your God?

If you are God, come down from the cross!

we live in a world of scoffers and mockers

and sometimes, we think- 2000 years has passed since Jesus laid his life down then raised it back up

when will he return? are we waiting in vain?

Good news:

Peace, patience,

Intro:

coming out of the book of Revelation

Peter writes as a reminder

the recollection leads to orientation

P1: Where is your God?

2 you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,

definition of the bible:

prophets, commandments, words of Jesus, testimony of the apostles

why is it important to know what God’s word says?

to orient ourselves in the world

orient our hopes, expectations, behaviors

the more you understand your surroundings, the more you know how to act within them

Its difficult to have right thinking if we aren’t oriented on God’s word

we need to know what the bible says, what God says.

3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days

with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.

scoffing- proverbs

mocking, making fun at, ridiculing

Last days- an indefinite amount of time- an epoc

there will be last days, in the “Last Days”

4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

where is your God?

Where is Jesus?

Christianity is about a dead teacher

The world has moved on (post-christian)

God is Dead- Thor, Osiris, Baal, why not Jesus and YHWY too?

God is dead, God is a crutch, God is sleeping

[Illustration] if you’re screwing around in the classroom, you want to know that the teacher isn’t coming back. you can act like an animal. she’s not coming back.

and the mob mobilizes to mock the student who doesn’t take part in it

what if the teacher left her purse behind?

Where is your God?

Jesus, if you are truly the Son of God, save yourself, come down from the cross!

Jesus wasn’t incapacitated on the cross, he chose to stay and wait for his death so that he would achieve our resurrection!

Jesus is coming again!

Transition: but… the truth, God is patient

P 2: God is patient

[READ vv5-10]

“they”- scoffers, deliberately overlook facts

they mock because they are disoriented, and refuse to be oriented

atheist scientists mock the idea of God using well crafted and organized science that in its own organization is a testimony to the intelligent design of the entire universe

3 key facts for us to orient ourselves on:

1. the heavens are old, very old (v5, v8)

v5 “that the heavens existed long ago”

I grew up hearing the universe was 13 something billion years old

current projections 26.7 billion years old

the point, God’s got time on his hands

God is patient

He does not work on the same schedule, clock

we think in a weekly or monthly schedule, God thinks in millenia

(v8) 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

think of context: Peter and the christians had been talking about Jesus for decades, they were dying

John’s dead, James is dead, Simon’s dead, Nathaniel’s dead, Stephen’s dead and now Peter is going to die. all the apostles and all us early christians are dying!

our lifetime vs God’s

our God is not a crutch, our God is not asleep, OUR GOD IS PATIENT

2. God has judged and saved before, he will do it again (v5, v7, v10)

History repeats itself

the tides, the seasons, the spin of the Earth. Everything on repeat, nothing will ever change

why would we expect the sky to roll up like a scroll?

laws of nature, are established on the lawgiver

they obey his word and his command

but God has judged through nature before and will do it again

“As in the days of Noah”- Jesus

we did it once, and we will do it again

the great flood- the global catastrophe

by his word he created

by his word he destroyed

by flood waters he cleansed the world of violence in the days of Noah

by fire he will purify the world on the day of judgement

by an ark he saved a family

by a cross he saves countless men, women and children

God has judged before, he will do it again

God has saved before, he will do it again

baptism- the waters that once destroyed, now wash us because they correspond to repentance and faith in Jesus.

Our God is not dead or asleep, OUR GOD IS PATIENT

everything ungodly and unholy will pass away (v7)

4.God is gracious (v9)

Scoffers mock the patience of God, not realizing that he is holding back wrath in order to secure their salvation

[Illustration:mocking a stop light, mocking a restaurant, “hurry up! what, are you doing? drive! cook! move it!”]

God isn’t slow!!!! God IS PATIENT. GOD is GRACIOUS

God wants to save people

he doesn’t want to destroy, he wants to save

he doesn’t want people to perish, he wants to give eternal life

he doesn’t want us to die in our sins, he wants us to turn from them to him

MPS: Peace will Prevail

Peace will Prevail

transition: now with this perspective, orientation, how do we live?

P 3: Patiently wait and trust [READ vv11-15a]

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, …?

now that we are oriented on the facts, What sort of people should we be?

You are Holy and Godly!!

you are holy and godly, you are.

Ephesians 1:4 ESV

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

v13 image of eternity- new heavens and NEW EARTH

like God, who is waiting patiently, extending grace and hastening his day

Waiting (looking forward to)

hastening (hastening means, to move something along)

the kingdom

be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish,

and at peace.

count the patience of our Lord as salvation

Peace will Prevail

Conclusion:

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