You Think Al Gore Knows About Global Warming!

2 Peter 3:10-16

There is a very important phrase these days in the world of law enforcement and fire safety -

Haz - Mat

Rightfully so.

Do you remember I told you a couple of weeks ago that I called in a hazardous condition. Someone had left several gallon containers of oil alongside the road.

This would clearly fall under the concept of hazardous material.

I don’t know exactly when that oil was removed but it was swift.

In the paper this week I read that city workers cleaning up around dry creek discovered a sealed barrel. They acted appropriately and called the authorities.

No one knew what was in the barrel so they had to treat it with caution. They were afraid to just open for fear of an explosion or hazardous gases. They contemplated clearing every body away from the scene and shooting it with a high powered rifle - small caliber to see what would seep out.

I don’t know the how - but I do know they discovered that it was a barrel full of oil and eventually they removed it.

Knowing all that, what would happen if you took an empty barrel, filled it with some heavy material, sealed it, and then stenciled these words on the outside:

Property of the United States Government

Explosive

How would people respond to that?

So what’s the point?

What you think about something will determine how you act

What happens when, “. . . the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily”?

The heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

He may think he is getting away with it. This seems to be part of the thinking of the false teachers Peter is addressing in his second letter.

Turn there is you will - 2 Peter 3:10

We have discovered that these false teachers believe that there are no restrictions on their life. The fact that Christ has return would play into this because then Jesus would be a promise breaker and where is the accountability.

Believing that Christ will not return will have a profound impact on your Christian life and how you live.

The Certainty of Christ’s Coming

Don’t Be Bothered by the DELAY

Why?

Timing - God doesn’t work on our time table. He is not only sovereign - he is outside of time.

Patience - he is being patient so others can avoid judgment

His Coming Is As Sure As . . .

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Will come but Day Lord As a Thief

If you do not believe in the coming of the Lord then you can not in the teaching of Jesus - the Apostle Paul - the Apostle Peter - Jude

The Resurrection of Christ and of Us

See vss 16-17

His Coming Will Create a Pretty Big STIR

Negatively

The earth will melt - there will be judgment

Positively

A new heaven and a new earth

Where Righteousness dwells

His Coming Has Change My LIFE - Or has it?

The fact that he is coming should change our lives

Illus.: The flare

If you believed this was a stick of dynamite, what would you do if I light it?

Eschatology helps us to internalize a world view that puts eternity and this world in their right perspective

Here is the test this morning on how truly you believe that Jesus is coming again - and it might be today.

How much are you concentrating your efforts on pleasing the Lord?

How much are you concentrating your efforts on reaching the lost?

Repentance and salvation can only occur while we are still living.

The return marks a day of finality!