2 Peter - Lesson 3F

• So this week – we are going to finish our journey through 2 Peter, and as I said last week, I believe we have extracted just about every ounce of juice out of this letter.

  • Having said that – that’s not really an accurate statement because as we know, Gods Word is like a kaleidoscope.

  • It's blue – it's blue green – it's yellow – it's red.

    • If you read and study it once – you get one thing.

    • You read and study it again, and you get something else.

  • What’s fascinating is how I’ll be having a conversation with someone over a particular scripture and they will say, have you ever studied the Gospel of John – the 3rd Chapter?

    • And by the way this just happened this past week.

  • And I will say, yes – you mean the story of Nicodemus.

  • And they will say yea, and I will say – what about it? 

  • And they will say, did you know… and almost always they will tell me something I never caught when I previously taught through the book.

    • And like I said – this just happened!

    • And honestly, there is no other book of antiquity that can brag of such a thing.

    • Not the Koran – not Shakespeare – nothing!

• God's Word is so powerful that one passage can convict a person of one thing, and at the same time – the same passage convicts another person, but in a totally different way!

  • It reminds me of a time when I was teaching through a book or letter – I can’t remember which one it was – but after the service, a person ran out the door crying.

    • And I had no clue as to why.

    • So, I called that person later that day and said, “are you okay?" And they said – “Who told you about my situation?”

    • I said – no one. I don’t know anything about your situation.

    • And they said – “someone must have told you”. I said – I promise, I do not know what you are talking about and if I did, I promise you – I wouldn’t lie and say I didn’t.

    • And they said, “Well – it was as if you were speaking directly to my situation this morning”. I said – I promise I don’t know anything about it! And furthermore, if I did – I would never do that. And that’s the truth.

    • A truth - I want everyone here to know and understand!

  • I will never use this pulpit to push an agenda or highlight something a person in our congregation may be going through.

  • I will also never use the pulpit to voice frustrations within our fellowship.

    • I can’t stand it when preachers do that, and I won’t be a party to it!

  • So just remember that, especially if you think I am preaching at you.

  • If you share a situation with me in confidence I promise you – It will stay between us. And that’s all I’ll say about that topic!

• Moving on, this morning as I said, we will finish Chapter 3 of 2 Peter.

  • And it’s been an interesting journey.

  • As Peter calls these believers, and believers everywhere, to mature spiritually.

  • Peter (as we know by now) is writing this letter to this group of believers – calling for them to mature.

  • But also sending them a warning – as well as encouraging them to “keep their eye on the prize” (at least that’s what Paul calls it)

    • “Keep their eye on the prize” – as it relates to keeping the main thing the main thing.

    • Keep their eye on the prize as it relates to remembering specifically – that this earth is temporary.

    • Matter a fact – it’s so temporary I would call it disposable.

    • Which means, it’s a throw away.

  • We know this to be the case because one day Peter and Paul, among others in scripture, tell us exactly that this earth and its works will be burned up.

• Believe it or not, those words made up part of Peter's closing parting words of encouragement to this church.

  • Having said that, his words of encouragement are not encouraging words – at least in the way we think of encouraging words.

  • It was Spiritual Encouragement – which is a type of encouragement that starts with the end in mind!

    • Which by the way is the best type of encouragement.

    • I say it’s the best type – because it encourages us by letting us know how the story ends.

  • It’s kind of like a prison sentence really, where the only encouragement a newly convicted person may receive, is knowing that on a certain date he or she will be released, and it will all be over!

    • So letting the church know how this thing all ends, is Peter's way of encouraging this church.

    • And by extension, that’s his encouragement to us as well.

• You see, Heaven is our destination folks (not earth) – and heaven is a perfect place, with a perfect Father, where we will forever serve and praise Him for eternity.

  • No sickness – no pain – no heartache – no let downs

  • No depression and no pharmaceutical companies needed. No doctors needed.

    • A place where all believers will live eternally – in perfect harmony!

  • And that may not seem like encouragement – at least as it pertains to the here and now, but it is.

  • Because if we will just pause for a minute and think about it, we will realize our life is on a timer – it’s on a countdown.

    • And every day we live is one more day closer to our death.

    • One more day closer to Heaven.

  • And so – we are living in a temporary state, as I said. Much like prison sentence.

  • And soon – much sooner than you even realize, it will all be over!

    • But not for the believer.

    • For the believer, instead of saying soon your life will be over, the Bible tells us soon your life will begin!

  • Which is interesting to think about because honestly – when we pray for a believer to be healed, or we say to ourselves – “today was a good day because I woke up on the right side of the grass”

  • Or when a preacher writes a New York Times bestseller book called, Your best life now!

    • If I am being completely honest nothing could be further from the truth

    • Our best life is not now. It will never be now.

    • Our best life is yet to come! And it will be amazing when it arrives!

• It will be so amazing that when you die, I promise you would never want to return to this earth.

  • Which is what has always led me to say, when I die – do me favor, don’t try and pray me back to this life!

  • Because I assure you that if God said, do you want to go back – my answer would be a resounding no!

    • I have no interest in returning to this dying earth!

    • With all its problems – sickness and pain!

    • And with that – I’ll digress on this topic as well!

• Anyways moving on – today we will finish our teaching this morning in 2 Peter 3. And we will pick back up with verses 10-18, so we stay in context.

  • Once again – before we read this, remember Peter is making a shift in his topic or methodology.

  • Where initially – he warned this church about the false teachers who would be emerging from within the church.

  • And from there, he then moved into addressing the mockers – who were mocking these believers saying, where is this Messiah – I thought you guys said He was coming back, but ever since the fathers fell asleep He is nowhere to be found – so where is He?

    • And that statement is (as we know) what led Peter to say the following in verses 8-9

2 Peter 3:8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

• You could put a few themes with those verses if you wanted to, but the one theme that stands out in my head is that God's timing is not our timing.

  • We must remember God is doing something – and He’s still doing something right now today as we speak.

  • Which means Peter's words to this church apply to us as well.

    • So remember, with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day!

    • From there, Peter now makes his shift into his encouraging words.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
2 Peter 3:11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
2 Peter 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
2 Peter 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
2 Peter 3:15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,
2 Peter 3:16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
2 Peter 3:17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,
2 Peter 3:18 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.

• This morning as we finish the 3rd Chapter of 2 Peter, I would like to break these 8 verses down into 3 main parts or topics or themes if you will.

  • Beginning with Peter's statement about “The day of the Lord”.

  • I touched on this a few weeks ago and I won’t spend all day on it. I just want you to understand what “The day of the Lord” is.

    • And maybe – more importantly what it is not.

    • First – let me start with what it is.

• The day of the Lord is speaking specifically about Christ’s Second Coming.

  • His first coming was when He was born – along with the life He lived here on earth.

  • It was a time of Grace and Mercy.

  • A time in which Jesus came to teach and educate people on God and Himself

  • A time when He came to set up Apostles, all for the purposes of establishing His church.

    • All for the purposes of establishing an institution that would spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    • And an institution that would provide a support system for all believers.

    • And finally, an institution that would educate believers on who God was and is, i.e... His Character – And once the realization of who He is sets in, the byproduct is that believers grow and mature.   

  • And then of course, as believers mature, they will then help expand the church naturally – all by way of God drawing men to Himself, through those same believers.

  • Believers whose lives are being lived in a Holy and Godly Way!

    • And sure enough, backing up what I just said, Peter says the following in verse 11.

2 Peter 3:11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 

• In other words, now that you know the Lord is not slow about His promise as some would count slowness, and now that you know – He is coming.

  • That God is patient as He is waiting on the last person to be saved, that will ever be saved on earth.

  • And now that you know that when the Lord comes, it will be like a thief in the night.

  • Now that you know He is going to destroy this entire planet along with all its works.

    • Another way to say it might be, now that you are educated, then live your life in way that reflects that reality

    • Which is how? Well, let's read it again – verses 11-14

2 Peter 3:11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 
2 Peter 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
2 Peter 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 

• So, because you now know all of this, live your life in a Holy and Godly manner!

  • Hastening the day, which means expecting the day.

  • This word is a verb – it means to live your life in a way that you are anxiously awaiting His arrival.

  • And so, the question for all of us sitting here this morning is – are we living our lives this way?

    • I would say the answer would be – not to the level we should be, and I include myself in this statement as well.

    • But why?

  • Because life keeps having a way of grabbing our attention, through the shiny things.

  • Things that (to be honest with you) do not matter considering how this thing ends but somehow keeps sucking us in like gravity – life has a gravitational pull on this world we live in!

  • And why – because this earth belongs to the enemy!

    • Meaning it is cursed, and as a result this world as we know it has been handed over to Satan temporarily.

    • Which tells us that the enemy is never going to allow our minds to get quite enough – to realize what’s at stake, because as my old secretary used to say, there is always something in life taking the joy out of living.

  • Which means – it's up to us to recognize what’s going on.

    • To be cognitive and aware and do something about it!

  • And what should we do about it?

    • We should set aside time every day for God.

    • I call it – giving God your “Firsts Fruits”

• First Fruits is a concept of giving God a sacrifice – by beginning your day by giving up the most valuable asset you have: Time

  • By praying and studying.

  • And we should do that (if possible), before our day gets going!

  • That is our only defense against getting caught up with the shiny things of this life.

    • I know I sound like a broken record, but that’s the truth.

    • If you want to live a Holy and Godly life, then you must get intimate with God.

    • And the only way to get intimate with God is to get to know him – by setting aside time everyday to spend with Him

  • That’s truth and testimony of the scriptures!

  • And if you question that statement – I would tell you to take a 21-day First Fruits challenge, in which you get up every day, and before you do anything else such as check your phone, watch the news, check emails etc.

    • Instead, when your feet hit the floor, go straight into your quiet time with God and do it for 21 days straight without missing.

    • And just see what happens! I promise you – it will change your life!

• Moving on – so Peter mentions “The Day of the Lord” and this day is described by other names in the scriptures as well.

  • The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

  • Or the day of Yahweh or the Day of Christ

    • And what we know about this day is that this day is the day of Christ's second return

• Now, when I began talking about “The day of the Lord”, I told you I wanted to explain what that day was and what it was not. So let me be clear:

  • This day has nothing to do with the rapture of the Church, where Christ returns partially – when He snatches out His Bride from this earth, right before the tribulation –

  • Christ's second coming is different, and it will not be like the first time He came to earth because there will be no Grace and Mercy.

  • This day will be dark, and it will reveal a side of God that most people don’t like to think about – much less talk about.

    • Which would be the side of Him, that is made up of both judgement and wrath.

    • It will be a day that culminates at the end of the 7 years of Tribulation

    • A day that will end with God slaying His enemies

    • Casting Satan, the Anti-Christ, the False Prophet and all those who don’t believe into their final destination. Into a place the scriptures call Hell!

• Now, I realize this is not a popular statement, but guys it’s the truth and what’s interesting about all of this is that God (even though this day is coming) – God is still showing us Grace and Mercy, for now, as we wait.

  • But how is He doing that?

  • Well verse 15 tells us how – listen to it one more time

2 Peter 3:15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 

• Paraphrasing in context here, Peter is saying that because God has not yet returned, and because you are not dead, you can still be saved! There is still time.

  • The flip side of that being, that once He returns – it’s all over.

  • There will be no more opportunity for Salvation.

  • That’s why Peter says, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

    • He means be thankful “you mockers” that He hasn’t returned yet because you still have time to repent and be saved.

• And so with all that said, I would be remise if I didn’t ask everyone in here this morning, are you saved?

  • Have you repented – and have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and save your soul?

  • If the answer is no, then do me a personal favor and take the card that is in the pew in front of you and check the box that says salvation

    • Put your information on it, place it in the offering plate and let me call you to discuss or catch me after the service and let’s talk!

  • And then for those of you who have made a profession of faith – by repenting and asking Jesus to save them.

    • If you haven’t been baptized, then give us the honor of filling up the baptistery and baptizing you!

    • This baptistry is screaming for water!

    • So let me do the honor of doing that for you!

  • And for everyone who is a believer –

    • Do me another favor and ask yourself the question, am I living my life in a way that reflects what I say, what I believe?

    • In other words – am I living my life in a Holy and Godly way?

    • And if that’s not the case, I would like for you to consider a rededication of sorts

    • A re-start – and if you want to talk about that, then put that on the card as well – or simply follow John’s instructions in 1 John 1:9 where he says:

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• Peter's instruction to this church was simple.

  • Because you know how this thing ends – live your life accordingly.

    • In a Godly and Holy way!

  • His instruction to that church still applies to all of us sitting here today

    • I mean seriously folks, what are we doing?

  • We know how this thing ends, and we know the world we live in will soon be burned up.

  • So – if we truly believe that, then we should strive to live Holy and Godly lives!

  • That is all believers' call to action.

    • And all you must do to get started – is repent of that fact and begin the process of prayer and study daily.

    • That’s it! And God will take it from there!

• Moving on, next Peter says this – re-reading verses 15&16

2 Peter 3:15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,
2 Peter 3:16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 

• We touched on this earlier and I won’t belabor the point, but Peter says – regard the patience of the Lord as salvation.

  • Once again he’s saying, because there is still time, because the Lord has not returned yet people still can repent!

  • So, in that way, regard His patience as salvation – from there next he mentions Paul.

  • He says just as Paul says, according to the wisdom given him – he wrote to you.

    • The same thing I am teaching you.

    • Some of which is hard to understand – and for that reason the untaught and unstable distort.

    • Just as they do the rest of the scriptures, and they do so to their own destruction.

  • Essentially guys – God set up the church to be run by a plurality of Elders.

  • At least one of these men should be gifted to teach.

  • He should be the teaching elder i.e... the Pastor.

    • Which means this elder must be ready to spend the majority of his time in prayer and study.

    • And because his gift is that of teaching, he should be able to answer any question you may have regarding the scriptures.

    • Or let me say – he should be able to study the question and get you the answer.

    • Which means he should also be able to eliminate confusion in the mind of the believer if he is truly called to teach and preach.

  • Problem is, many preachers today don’t know this or they know it and ignore it.

  • Which is a real issue because if you don’t have an Elder Teaching Pastor inside the church, it’s a real issue because of what Peter just said – where untaught and uneducated men distort the scriptures.

  • The only way an untaught and uneducated man can distort the scriptures is when the people they are teaching don’t know what they are being taught.

    • And so, you can see the danger when there is no teaching Pastor!

    • People are led down all kinds of rabbit holes!

    • And they don’t even know it’s happening.

• Next, we will close out here.

2 Peter 3:17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,
2 Peter 3:18 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.

• Verse 17 is just a continuation of what Peter just said in verse 16, but he adds something in – he says "Be on your Guard".

  • Peters’ words should be etched in our brains.

  • Be on Guard, be aware, be cognitive, be vigilant.

    • Another way to say it is to be on the lookout.

    • Keep your eye out looking for the wolves in sheep’s clothing.

• And then he finishes with a few words that may not seem like a big deal, but it is the crux of my entire ministry. Listen to it one more time.

  • verse 18 – I Peter, will pray for your safety and your prosperity here on this earth. May you find favor in this life and may nothing ever happen to you. Amen – Amen!

    • Is that what it said?

    • Nope!

  • Think about what I am saying here – Peter is warning these believers about the impending dangers that lie waiting in the weeds.

    • He has warned them about the false teachers.

    • He has given them feedback on why the Lord hasn’t returned.

    • All so they can speak boldly against these Mockers.

    • Because Peter knows, the enemy is closing in on this church

  • That’s why he wrote the letter in the first place, and as I have said – his call to action for these believers, and by extension to all believers, is to Mature so they can ward off the wiles of the enemy.

    • And once again – how do you do that, you mature.

    • And how do you mature? Well let's read verse 18 and you will see. 

2 Peter 3:18 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.

• Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  • Here’s what’s interesting about this statement.

  • Peter’s prayer and or statement is the same prayer and or statement Paul makes.

    • It’s always the same prayer.

    • May you grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

    • And why – because that is how you mature.

  • It’s that simple – and there is no other way!

• If you want to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ and if you want the Lord to say to you one day, well done my good and faithful servant, then you must mature – and that process is always the same.

  • If you want to grow, get to know God in an intimate way – that’s it!

  • And that’s why Peter ends this letter the way He does because that’s the last thing he wants them to remember!

    • And the same holds true for us – Amen – Amen!!

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org