The Extraordinary Patience of The Lord

The Extraordinary Patience of The Lord 2 Peter 3:1-10 June 6, 2021 REMEMBER THE PURPOSE OF 2 PETER: To encourage Christians to grow in their faith through the knowledge of Jesus and stay true to Gospel, rejecting false teaching. 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. Key Verse: 2 Peter 3:18 (ESV) “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. Amen.” The Big Idea: Christ’s return in judgment seems delayed because God has a different perspective on time and because He patiently waits for all to come to repentance. The timing is uncertain (to us), while the reality of Jesus’ 2nd Coming, based on God’s Word, is certain! 2 Peter 2:1-21 (ESV) 3 1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. WHAT WE LEARN ABOUT GOD FROM THIS PASSAGE 1. All that happens at any point in history is by “the word of God.” [vv. 5-7] God is active, never passive in history. 2. The Lord’s timetable may not match up to our ideas of when He should act. [v. 8] Only the Father knows the time of the Son’s Return. [Matthew 24:36] 3. What we think of as slowness is actually the extraordinary patience of the Lord toward us, giving us more time to repent and get right with Him. [v. 9] God gave Noah’s generation 100 years to hear the message of repentance and mercy. He gave the wicked people of Nineveh an opportunity to turn to the Lord. WHEN JESUS COMES BACK: 1. It will be an unexpected, surprising event. [v. 10] 2. There will be shockingly violent happenings as the awesome power of God is displayed in His Creation. [v. 10] 3. Every action, public and private, will be laid bare as we stand accountable for the life we’ve lived. [v. 10] 4. The wrath of God in judgment against sin is not something true Christians need to fear. God’s wrath against your sin was poured out already at the Cross. John 3:17 John 3:36 Romans 5:9-11 Isaiah 53:4-5 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11