2 Peter Chapter 3

Introduction

Hey Pete

Series conclusion

Tension

We live in a world obsessed with the temporary:

trends, success, possessions etc

But Peter lifts our eyes beyond the moment.

Like driving and you see cars way ahead of you braking

If you are only focused on the car in front of you

you might wreck

That truth begs the question: 

How then should we live?

Truth

2 Peter 3:1–9 “This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles. Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

Peter reminds us that God doesn’t measure time the way we do.

What feels like “delay” to us is actually mercy.

What if God’s delay is actually in your favor

That might change your perspective

God’s heart: “He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent” (v. 9).

2 Peter 3:10–11 “But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live,

Peter compares it to a thief in the night. You don’t schedule a thief.

The world we cling to—our possessions, careers, achievements—will be dissolved.

Illustration: Think of people in a hurricane preparing, boarding up, moving valuables. But Peter says the entire created order will one day pass away.

What are your priorities

They will be revealed in

Don’t store up for yourselves treasures where moth and rust destroy

The reality of eternity should reframe our priorities.

2 Peter 3:12–14 “looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.”

Peter’s big question: “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?”

Answer: people who live holy and godly lives, looking forward with hope.

Hope fuels endurance. When life feels heavy, remember: this isn’t the end of the story.

Holiness isn’t about being weird or withdrawn—it’s about living with the character of Christ in every part of our lives.

2 Peter 3:15–16 “And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.”

Application: 

Who in your life still needs to know Jesus?

God’s patience gives you time to invite them.

Where are you investing in things that won’t last?

Shift your focus to what’s eternal.

How can you live differently this week if you truly believe eternity is real?