What's The Hold Up?
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 31:38
0 ratings
· 70 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Reading
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. 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, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
What, On Earth, Are We Waiting For?
What, On Earth, Are We Waiting For?
13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
It is the last thing any of us like to do… wait. The old Heinz Ketchup commercial used to say, “Anticipation… it’s making me wait.” We don’t like to wait, do we?
And it is easy to look with our eyes towards a specific matter, such as the Lord’s Return, and miss what it really means for us. Do I believe the Lord will return? Yes, I do. Do I believe it is a physical reality? Yes, I do? Do I look forward to it, with deep anticipation? Yes I do.
But when we set our sights on what seems to be a wonderful event that our Lord promised, we need to be careful that we do not miss all of the matters that will make that wonderful day full of wonder.
The songwriter said, “What a Day, that will be, when my Jesus I will see, when I look upon His face, the one that saved me by His grace, when He takes me by the hand, and leads me to the Promised Land, what a Day, ,Glorious day,, that will be. “ Yes, it is an important piece of the Bible story that all Christians should be looking forward to.
In this passage this morning, Paul speaks and uses the word “waiting” three times.
2 Peter 3:12–14 (ESV)
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. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
This word, “waiting”, means to look forward to . It is translated as “expect” in other places in the Bible. It means to not only look forward to.... but to have your eyes wide open as you look.
It would be easy for them to see with that kind of expectancy. They were so much closer and familiar with the Old Testament Prophet’s words concerning Christ’s Second Coming. Add to that the promises of Jesus himself and the constant reminders of the apostles, and you would have a much deeper expectancy and urgency about the wait. But we’ve been waiting collectively, as the body of Christ, for over 2000 years now. And it is easy to ask the question, “Is this notion just a fairy tale or a wishful thinking on our part?”
What is the delay? Peter quotes Psalm 90:4 in reminding his liteners that God counts time defferently than we do.
4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
We see time in a 60 second minute, a 60 minute hour, a 24 hour day, and a 7 day week. God sees time in terms of eternity. There is neither a beginning or an ending… we don’t see time the same way. God sees not only to infinity and beyond- He sees both present, past , and future, through the eyes of eternity. we aren’t built that way- yet.
So we are waiting for something pretty specific. And God is waiting for something else.
Perhaps what God is looking for, anticipating, is what really matters.
God sees both His intention for us in creation, the circumstances we are in because of sin, and God also sees what will ultimately take place because of Christ. We tend to see only the circumstancial, the here and now, that which is.
We tend to look at the return of Jesus Christ as this static moment when all of the circumstances will cease and all will be made right… and to some extent that is so. But what really is it that “all being made right” entails?
What difference does Christ make now? What effect is Christ having on this moment in time?
It’s what we’re really waiting for. Look at 2 Peter 3.13
13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
We are waiting for both God’s original intention- a place where righteousness dwells; as well as God’s ultimate purpose- a place where where righteousness dwells.
A small book that has had some impact on my walk with Christ and my ministry is a little book by Leslie Weatherhead called “The Will of God”. Weatherhead outlines God’s will as His intentional will, his circumstantial will, and his ultimate will.
unpack intentional will, circumstantial will, and ultimate will.
Throughout Matthew’s gospel, Matthew talks about the ushering in of the Kingdom of God. Than’s what we are waiting for- God’s Kingdom. Think about these verses:
The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven
The kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus’ preaching, according to the Synoptic Gospels. While Matthew, who addresses himself to the Jews, speaks for the most part of the ‘kingdom of heaven’, Mark and Luke speak of the ‘kingdom of God’, which has the same meaning as the ‘kingdom of heaven’, but was more intelligible to non-Jews.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus took that message and ran with it.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Yes, Jesus built on John the Baptist’s message… the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. But he also stated something very different, distinct and worthy of deep consideration. Not only is the kingdom of heaven at hand- it’s already here.
That kingdom is manifested in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. Look at matthew 12.28
28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
The Kingdom of God is already upon you. The Kingdom of God is here already.
18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Jesus’ Kingdom was palpably available in the person of Christ. Demons were cast out, the power of Satan is gone… Jesus sees Satan fall from heaven like lightning and he distributes his authority to the disciples to destroy the power of the enemy.
Jesus told his disciples that they already had seen the kingdom… Blessed are you for the things you see, and the things you hear.
2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
John the Baptist is sitting in a jail cell, discouraged, downtrodden, ,uncertain… and he sends messengers to Jesus to see if he had been wrong.
and Look at Jesus reply. Please note all of this, but in particular note the preaching of the gospel. God’s forgiveness is the beginning of the Kingdom, and integral part of the kingdom .
The Kingdom can come, but we need to change our trajectory. When our focus is to dominate people instead of empowering people the kingdom is not our destination. When our desire is selfish instead of selfless the kingdom is not our destination. When the color of our skin or our cultural heritage affects our opportunity and our place in life the kingdom is not our destination. When nuclear war is seen as the road to peace- we are not on a trajectory for the kingdom.
So, the Kingdom of God which God intended in the creation as well as the Kingdom of God which ultimately will be- it’s arrived in the person of Jesus Christ. It’s already here.
And since Jesus is not here now, he’s left us with that trajectory. It is the church, the body of Christ followers, the people of God who are called to change the trajectory of our own lives and the life of the world.
Riding my motorcycle. singing Christ Tomlin. You’re a Good Good Father. How Great is Our God. Sam’s club gas pump.
Waiting With Purpose
Waiting With Purpose
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
What sort of people ought we to be?
The word “lives” in 2 Peter 3:11 means “behavior”. How should we behave? God is looking for a way we ought to be, a life we should be living. And, Peter tells us that that life should be holy and godly. As we wait, our lives should be holy and godly.
hagios- holiness. In the New Testament, it is God’s innermost nature as it embraces omnipotence, eternity, and glory… it evokes awe. Think about that. God embraces his omnipotence, eternal nature, and his glory. God calls for his people to be holy: 1 Peter 1:15-16
Are our lives evoking “awe” in those who see us?
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Not only holy, but “godly” lives. It is a way of living. In the scriptures, we are told to pursue “godliness”. Paul states this in several places in his epistles. This term, “godliness”, is used by Paul in 1 Tim 4.8.
8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Interestingly, Paul says it is profitable for this world as well as the next. In other words, this godliness has promise for the future, eternal kingdom. So what’s the point of us being “godly” here, you may ask? Apparently, the “godliness” lived out here is fruitful for the future kingdom. Could it be that our life here is a witness to others who have yet to embrace Jesus Christ? That our testimony here is actually the lives we live and show to others? It seems that this is that Paul is saying.
Rick Dieringer at funeral, “If that’s what being a Christian is, I want to be one.”
Peter says, “what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness?” How should you behave as you’re waiting? He tells us holy and godly… and then he says something more. Look at verse 14
2 Peter 3:14 (ESV)
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
without spot or blemish. It means to be morally pure. Without sin. Look at the word “blemish”. It means a life that is blameless. It is a life that cannot be blamed.
I’ve been blamed many times in my life. There have been times when I’ve been blamed and I was at fault. There have been times when I was blamed and I was not. Sin has a funny way of painting itself around a room. It has a way of sending the message. One thing’s for sure. I am not without spot, without blame, holy or godly.
In fact, sin is so hard at work that there is nothing about me that really is worth putting forward. Isaiah says my righteousness is like filthy rags,… and I know he’s right.
Because of this, I’m not only ungodly… I’m at war with God. Yeah, that’s right. Sin really does drive a wedge in the relationship.
Hold that thought.
Peter also says, “At Peace”. I ask , “With who?” you know what I mean.
Who am I to be at “peace” with?
What, On Earth, Is God Waiting For?
What, On Earth, Is God Waiting For?
And the answer is my bottom line:
God’s Patience is His Call To Repentance
God’s Patience is His Call To Repentance
Peter tells us plainly why this play isn’t over right now. Because the Lord’s patience is waiting on us… to come to salvation. The reality is that God’s seeming procrastination is actually his “long-suffering”.
God’s patience is meant to lead us to repentance. Look at 2 Peter 3.9
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.
In Romans 2.4 Paul said,
4 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?
22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
I became a Christ follower because of Christ. We shoud be about showing Christ to others- making his kingdom evident on earth as it is in heaven.