While You are Waiting

INTRODUCTION

Here we are on March 24, 2019. In a few weeks we will celebrate the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord....and we are waiting… for His soon return....., The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is coming back…and in gives us some instructions while we are waiting..... LET US PRAY.

When Peter was writing his last 2 books, he described his audience as: strangers, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadokia, Asia and Bithynia....in fact it says in You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. is full of verbs that tell us what to do “while we are waiting”.

1 Peter 1:5 CSB

5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Recall the Words of the Prophets and the Command of Our Lord Jesus Through the Apostles

Recall the Words of the Prophets and the Command of Our Lord Jesus Through the Apostles

WORDS OF THE PROPHETS

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2 Peter 3:1-3

COMMAND OF OUR LORD JESUS THROUGH THE APOSTLES

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BIBLE

2 Peter 3:1–2 CSB

Dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written to you; in both letters, I want to stir up your sincere understanding by way of reminder, so that you recall the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles.

Be Aware of Scoffers

2 Peter 3:1–3 CSB

1 Dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written to you; in both letters, I want to stir up your sincere understanding by way of reminder, 2 so that you recall the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles. 3 Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires,

2 Peter 3:3–7 CSB

3 Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires, 4 saying, “Where is his ‘coming’ that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” 5 They deliberately overlook this: By the word of God the heavens came into being long ago and the earth was brought about from water and through water. 6 Through these the world of that time perished when it was flooded. 7 By the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

A Recent documentary on NASA made the point that when the first Apollo astronauts went into space, they were overwhelmed by the perfect blue sphere that they saw which was Earth

More than once they recalled how amazing it was that the thin blue atmosphere that it maintained life for all of us on this terrestrial ball

The SAME WORD (V. 7) is a manifestation of the patient Grace of God (GRAPHIC OF EARTH)

When Billy Graham had his great revival meeting in 1949, a popular Country Western singer became a Christian....One of Cliff Barrows (one of Billy Graham’s associates) said that it was on a street in Hollywood that Hamblen later ran into John Wayne who asked him about the rumor around town that he’d changed his ways.  Hamblen told Wayne that it was no secret what God had done for him and that he could do it for Wayne too.  Wayne said it sounded like a song and suggested he write one.  The result was one of Hamblen’s best known tunes, It is No Secret What God Can Do.  (From Truth or Fiction, Google) later he would write another tune....”How Big is God?”

How big is God? How big and wide His vast domain To try and tell, these lips can only start He's big enough to rule His mighty universe Yet small enough to live within my heart

Dear Friends, Don’t Overlook One Fact

2 Peter 3:8–10 CSB

8 Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.

2 Peter 3:8

Since....It is Clear, As You Wait..

2 Peter 3:11 CSB

11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness

2 Peter 3:11–12 CSB

11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness 12 as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming. Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat.

2 Peter 3:11-

2 Peter 3:11-

Charles Spurgeon said: Christ is returning, the King is on His way and almost here. He is at the door. The dissolving of all things around us suggests our looking away to eternal things. The motive for holiness becomes stronger if the thought is not merely that I will die but that all things around me will be dissolved. It makes us look on eternal things with a more fixed eye and have a more stern resolve to live for God.

Based on HIS Promise, We Wait

2 Peter 3:13 CSB

13 But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

2 Peter 3:13-

I love how in the 16 Fundamental Doctrine of the Assemblies of God, it is entitled “New Heavens and a New Earth” The explanation isn’t anything other than this Scripture in v. 13

Sometimes you can’t figure out the details but you CAN TRUST HIS PROMISES

based on HIS Promises! I can think of a few over 200 promises in the Bible....

Romans 4:16 CSB

16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all.

While You Wait, Make Every Effort

2 Peter 3:14–16 CSB

14 Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace. 15 Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him. 16 He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.

2 Peter 3:14

2 Peter 3:14 CSB

14 Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace.

2 Peter 3:14

You can be at PEACE while loving God

Doesn’t it Say in , Therefore being Justified BY FAITH we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and again in 1 John 2:1....

1 John 2:1–2 CSB

1 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. 2 He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

1 John 2:1 CSB

1 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one.

Regard the Patience of Our Lord as Salvation

2 Peter 3:15–16 CSB

15 Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him. 16 He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.

What’s interesting about this set of verses is we get a window into the 1st Century where Peter describes Paul’s letters as Scripture.....since he wrote the majority of the NT epistles, it increases our confidence in God’s word....

Since You Know This in Advance....Be On Guard

2 Peter 3:

2 Peter 3:17 CSB

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position.

It’s the easiest thing as time marches on to forget or quit remembering the significance of why we are here on the earth....but we can simply zoom out a little and notice what God is doing....for example....with reference to the end times....what is Israel STILL DOING OVER IN THE MIDDLE EAST.....RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT.....STILL, while most all of its neighbors don’t want it there??? God is at work! The Bible explains why Israel is there.....;

I found it interesting when I ran across an opinion piece in the newspaper this week (WSJ) by Lou Weiss entitled “Why do Americans care abut Israel?”.(March 21, 2019)

After listing several political thoughts, the Mr. Weiss said:

Oth­ers ad­mire Is­rael be­cause the He­brew Bible states that those who bless Abra­ham and his great na­tion will them­selves be blessed. Is it purely a co­in­ci­dence that Amer­ica, the most suc­cess­ful coun­try in his­tory, treats its Jews bet­ter than any other na­tion ever has? And here Peter says: “Since you know in advance....be on your guard”.....makes you think.

But Grow in Grace

2 Peter 3:18 CSB

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.

He doesn’t say grow in knowledge, or skill, only but in learning to lean on the wonderful grace of Jesus!!!! We can’t be holy on our own, but by the power of the Holy Spirit we can obey the command, be ye holy for I am holy. That’s why Peter says Grow in /Grace

Why don’t you go ahead and Praise Him! He is Worthy! He’s Worthy Today, He’ll be Worthy Tomorrow and for all Eternity!