Deceived About The Future Series

If you think about it…every second that we live, is lived in the present. With each passing second, the past is only one second behind – and the future is one second ahead. Always.

As humans, this constantly feeds our curiosity. We can see the past. We can study it, learn from it, even make efforts to correct the past so they don’t happen again in the future. It’s really our only way of ‘changing’ the future.

Since we’re always living in the present, we are constantly left to wonder what lies around the next corner. We’re left to speculate, we’re left to predict…it’s the times we speculate and predict MORE than we prepare that it’s easy to be deceived. Both Christians and non Christians alike are vulnerable to this curiosity. Where we differ…..is that we, as Christians, know the future. At least all we NEED TO KNOW!

The Bible has been proven over and over to be 100% accurate, from prophecies in the OT that came true in the NT, to archeological facts proven throughout history…to…you guessed it…the future.

It always makes me smile when I see a great PHD secular mind on TV talk about how the world will end. They talk of asteroids, solar problems, volcano’s, global warming, UFO’s even. They may even point to the ambiguous, enigmatic quatrains of Nostradamus…they are educated, and very smart. They are dedicated and truly believe their science and theology is accurate.

I just sit there as they speak, wondering what would happen if they just read the Bible with Jesus in their hearts – they would not be left to speculate and hypothesize. Because they would know!

From fortune cookies to horoscopes. From astrology to fortune tellers…we can’t stop our fascination with the future, we can, however, do a better job at preparing in the present.

There are a lot of ‘end times’ fanatics out there in Christendom (I’m one of them) that might be preparing to hear a message on when Jesus will return. A message on current events, the state of the world, global economy, leaders in place, the end of all things. I’ve preached on that, and it’s always a much needed message. All of that is in the Bible. All of it is in the future, all of it speaks of Jesus reigning supreme.

We know what Jesus has done in the past, it’s in the Bible, we know what Jesus will do in the future, it’s in the Bible. But since we’re living in the present…why not take this opportunity to hear what we need to do, from Peter, in the present to prepare for the future.

PRAY

I’ve been battling strep throat for the second time in a month this week.

Sorry about the seminar format here, but it would just be too odd acting like I’m preaching in front of a lot of people. At least now I can pretend people are laughing at my jokes (sad face) Can we get a laugh track in here?

The headers on 2 Peter CH 3 are ‘The day of the Lord will come’ and ‘Final Words’.

Right out of the gate, Peter wants us to know some things. He urges us to ‘remember’ a few things…

First of all, scoffers will come. Anytime the Bible has made predictions, skeptics have been readily available. This has been true throughout history. OT, NT and today.

V8 – To the Lord, one day like 1,000 yrs, 1,000yrs like one day.

God is eternal. Time is meaningless to Him. In eternity there’s no time. No past, no future, only present.

You and I only think in time because we’re finite. Peter affirms what scripture had been saying…Jesus will return soon, as the end times unfold.

SOON??? It’s like Jesus had a secret meeting with a few of the disciples and told them, ‘if you’re going to talk about my return, let’s get some lingo down…cause we really want to mess with peoples heads’. Haha

2,000 yrs later we obviously realize that ‘soon’ didn’t mean 20 yrs…could be another 2,000 yrs…it’s all the same to God. He measures time in patience, not with a watch! He wants as many as possible to get the chance to accept Him..v9

When will Jesus return??? When He’s been patient enough☺

v11-12 : You know he’s coming, so live lives of holiness and Godliness.

It’s like when you were back in high school, and your mom and dad went out of town for the weekend and left you in charge. It didn’t matter what you did while they were gone (and they knew something would be going on) it was PRIORITY one to have the house in order when they got back.

Sometimes it was successful, other times…I remember one time…oh never mind – love you mom, love you dad. Hahaha