Advent 5: The sequel - Trusting in the waiting

INTRODUCTION: True for his coming, but also for all waiting.

Trust God’s timing.

2 Peter 3:8 ESV

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.

not overlook - don’t miss this!

Meaning God is outside of time - (haha wife I’ll be down in five minutes or husband, just one more cast).

His timing is different than ours.

I have much more patience than my kids, because I know it does not need to happen right now.

God will fulfill His promises.

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

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.

He is slow by some definition, but not the real one. God is not slow, but patient.

Patient towards you - this is wonderful news. Then we get saved and we wonder what’s taking so long.

This is the reason why Christ has not come back. He wants to be more saved!

He wants you to repent and be with him!

Repentance - turning from sin. First sin you must repent from is unbelief.

Promises: coming again and destroying earth.

2 Peter 3:10 ESV

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.

like a thief in the night - so he is patient, but when he decides to move, it comes quickly.

No flood, but it will all be destroyed in fire.

Be exposed - What will happen when your life is exposed??? - What have you done with it?

Focus on your calling

2 Peter 3:11 ESV

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

Since all the …dissolved - We waste so much of our life on things that will be disvollved. Your boat, your trophies, cars, instragram account....etc....all be burned.

so how should we live?

holiness and godliness - is your life marked by these things?

2 Peter 3:12 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!

haha global warming.

waiting - We waiting for so long for the first coming, now we are waiting again.

day of God - day of the Lord OT. Time of judgement. Not good…unless you are his. The judgment and wrath is never reserved for his kids.

set on fire and dissolved - what does that mean????

Melting glass???Being made into something new and beautiful.

God brings beauty from brokenness

2 Peter 3:13 ESV

13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

According to his promise - not wishful thinking.

Do you trust me? to my kids so they learn how to trust. I purposefully wait. They hate it haha!

the defining mark of the new earth is righteousness dwells, which is seperate from sin. The mark of the current one is sin. The prince of the air is here.

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.

Therefore - since all of this is true.

be diligent - put all yourself into this.

to be found - haha when the boys want to be found - sticking head out of blanket.

spot or blemish - You can’t do this by yourself, it has to be someone else.

and at peace - this year has been hard.

CONCLUSION: This has been a great but terrible year. But God is good.

SOMETHING TO ILLUSTRATE BAD INTO GOOD TRANSORMATION......