The Thrill of Hope

The Thrill of Hope

Introduction

Good Morning and Happy Christmas to you all. It’s a joy to be back with you all today, as we’re officially 5 days away from Christmas. For a number of reasons, Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love Christmas decorations. I love Christmas cookies. And I love Christmas presents. On a deeper level though, I love Christmas because it signifies a season of rest, time with family, and reflection on the incarnation - that is, the birth of Christ.

Throughout our country, I’ve noticed that people are looking forward to Christmas 2020 for another reason. For some, Christmas provides a mental escape from all the bad things that have happened this year. Death, sickness, unemployment, racial tension, political insanity. Christmas allows all of these to be temporarily muted from our minds.

I also hear of so many people looking forward to 2021. “2020 was such a mess,” they say, “we just need it to end.” Maybe 2021 will bring an end to COVID-19. Maybe 2021 will bring an end to racism. Maybe 2021 will temper the polarization within our culture.

And I’ve also seen a number of Christians beginning to think more and more about the end times. The entire world is trending downward in 2020. This would be a great time for Jesus to come back, wouldn’t it?

If there was one word to describe the collective state of humanity, one word to describe what this year has done to us, it would be this: We are weary.

To say that the world has made us weary does not simply mean that we’ve experienced brokenness in this world, but that we’ve experienced continued brokenness, all the while awaiting something that isn’t broken, something that hasn’t been corrupted, and something that will endure. The longer we wait, the more our weariness grows.

This Advent, I’d like to spend some time reflecting not only on the fact that Christ has come, but also that Christ will come again. Listen to the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who tells us, “The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.” The weariness we experience should redirect us to the hope that we have in Christ and long for his return.

Our text for this morning is 2 Peter 3:8-10. In these verses, Peter reminds us that God is patient for repentance and will faithfully fulfill his promise.

Reading

If you have your Bible, please join me in the reading of God’s Word

2 Peter 3:8–10 ESV

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. 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. 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.

Prayer

Exposition

As we begin this passage, we’re entering a situation where Peter is warning his readers about the “scoffers” - that is, those who will try to cast doubt on the Christian faith. They do this by pointing to the fact that Christ hasn’t returned yet. “Where is the promise of his coming?” They’re unable to see the evidence of God’s activity in the world.

Here, we see that Peter is not only confronting these “scoffers,” but also that he is taking the opportunity to reassure his readers on the coming Day of the LORD - that is, the return of Christ. We begin in verse 8, which reads: “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.”

We’re not afforded the time here this morning to dive into the eternality of God and talk about the transcendence of God over time. Here, Peter is alluding to Psalm 90:4, which reads,

Psalm 90:4 ESV

For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

In Psalm 90, the author is contrasting the eternality of God with the temporality of human beings. The Psalmist declares that God existed before the mountains were brought forth and the earth was formed. God is eternal and what may seem like a long time for us, is a relatively inconsequential amount of time to God.

If we ere only to take Psalm 90:4 into account, that would be ok. That’s where most people stop, so it would be good enough. But, if we were to only consider this verse in Psalm 90, we would be missing out on what I think Peter was trying to get to.

In that same Psalm, the author cries, “Teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom!,” and asks the LORD to bless them and to establish the work of their hands. In other words, it seems like the Psalmist is petitioning for the LORD to help them lead lives of significance.

How do you confront the weariness the world brings? By engaging in things that truly matter.

Verse 9 continues: “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.”

It follows that if God experiences time differently, that if a thousand years are like one day to God, then he is not slow in keeping his promise.

God is not slow to keep his promise. Yes, 2000 years have passed. Yes, our waiting is full of toil and trouble, but God is not stalling without purpose. Instead, he is patient, wanting all to come to repentance.

If you’ve ever wondered why God allows humanity to suffer both toil and trouble, to continue in violence, to continue in injustice, it is not because he is uncaring. It is not because he’s uninvolved. It is because he is patient.

The purpose of God in this age is salvation. When Christ came, he said,

Luke 19:10 ESV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

What’s more, he appointed us as his followers to carry the mantle of his ministry, to serve as witnesses (Acts 1:8) and ambassadors as though God were making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20).

As Christians, we have to choose whether we will endure the weariness of the world, or whether we will confront the weariness by engaging in things that matter - that is, leading others toward repentance and faith in Christ.

Peter ends this text, affirming the coming day of the LORD. He writes, “But the day of the LORD will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a 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.”

In Peter’s mind, the second Advent of Christ is not slow or far off, but imminent. It will come like a thief, quickly, unexpectedly, and without warning. When Christ returns, he will come in judgment - the world as we know it will be purged by fire and every deed will be revealed.

The Day of the LORD is often depicted in terms of fire and judgment and can be quite frightening. But if you’ve trusted Christ for salvation, then Christ’s return is something to be excited about. Revelation 21:3-4 tells us what we have to look forward to, saying:

Revelation 21:3–4 ESV

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And if you haven’t trusted Christ, let me ask you, why not? God is patiently delaying judgment against you. Romans 2:4 reads,

Romans 2:4 ESV

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

Take time this Advent season to consider why Christ was born and what that means for you.

Application

As wearisome as this world can be, Advent reminds us how much God cares for us. Advent tells us how Christ has stepped into the brokenness of the world, in order to bring about redemption to the world and to restore the relationship between God and men.

We can be encouraged this Christmas season, because the very fact of Christ’s incarnation gives us confidence in his return. In the Old Testament, God promised a savior, who would bring salvation for God’s people and establish justice on earth. He delivered on that promise through the birth of Christ. Jesus was born in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies to live a life we could not live and die a death we all deserve, in order to give us right standing with God. And just as Jesus was born in fulfillment of the Scriptures, he will return in fulfillment of the Scriptures.

If you’re in Christ, know that you can confront the weariness of the world by engaging in the ministry of reconciliation. This world is broken and God has chosen to use his people to bring about a measure of restoration.

If you’re not a follower of Jesus, why not? This advent, take time to consider Jesus, why he came and what that means for you. Know that every ounce of brokenness was meant to redirect your hope to something that will not perish, spoil, or fade. So long as your alive, God is patient restraining his judgment and is calling you to repentance.

Lastly, the world is full of brokenness and weariness, trouble and toil, but this world is not all there is. One day, Christ will return to establish his kingdom, to bring about a new heaven and a new earth, where there are no tears, there is no pain, and death has no place. Our hope is in Christ’s return. With eager expectation, be watchful as you wait, preparing yourself as well as others, to stand before Christ in judgment.

Prayer