Fired Or Fired Up!

FIRED OR FIRED UP!

2 Peter 3:3-14

INTRODUCTION:

A. I have had several people tell me that they get concerned when I walk to the edge of the stage as they are afraid I’m going to fall off.

1. I am thankful that that has not happened yet

ILL> I did hear a story about a preacher who was speaking to a packed out church. He was stirred up and speaking with a fever pitch as he spoke concerning the 2nd coming.

Quoting Jesus’ promise, he shouted out "I am coming soon!"

He preached some more and said even more loudly, "I am coming soon!"

He preached a little longer and threw his arms up in the air and cried out, "I am coming soon!"

At this point, he lost his balance and tumbled off the stage into the lap of a gentleman in the first row. The preacher got up and apologized to the man, but the man replied: "Oh, that’s ok, you warned me three times–I should have been ready."

2. Jesus Christ is coming soon–Are You Ready?

a. Peter reminds us that the Day of the Lord is coming–Jesus Christ is going to come back to take His people home for all eternity

b. Whether or not you choose to belief that has absolutely no bearing on the certainty of that fact

c. God promised that someday He would send His Son back into the world and He hasn’t reneged on a promise yet so I have no reason to belief that He will try to back out of this one.

3. So, it is essential that we have committed ourselves to Jesus–that we have been obedient to His Word

a. Because ready or not, Jesus Christ is coming!

B. READ: 2 Peter 3:3-10

ILL> We live in the age of the reality TV show. It began with the success of "Survivor" and has appeared in various forms such as "The Bachelor," "The Amazing Race," and "American Idol."

Another such show features Donald Trump as contestants try to become the next Apprentice in his company. Each week they are given tasks perform and at the end of the show Donald and his executives decide who should leave. The contestants are called into room and Donald calls one of them out by name and says, "You’re Fired!"

1. I suppose that it would be intimidating to sit in a boardroom with Donald Trump knowing that he holds you’re life in his hands

a. But I think it will be even more intimidating to stand before God on Judgment knowing that He holds the key to our eternity

b. We don’t want to be told that we didn’t measure up, that we didn’t do what was expected

c. We don’t want to be let go–fired from eternity

2. As Christians, it ought to get us fired up thinking about Christ return

a. Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

3. I am sure that a lot of people are going to be scared to death–and rightly so as many will not have committed their lives to Christ

a. The question is, "Will you be ready?"

C. No one knows when Christ is coming back, but I do know that we are one day closer today that we were yesterday

1. I believe that we are living in the end times

I> SCOFFERS, A SIGN OF THE TIMES

A. We know that we are living in the end times or the last days because that attacks on the church have increased

1. Jesus was under attack throughout His ministry and apostles faced many dangers because they preached about a resurrected Christ

a. Usually when we think about persecution we think of Diocletian who put made many Christians face lions in the coliseum

b. However, more Christians were put to death around the world last year because of their faith than at any other time in history?

B. VS 3-4

1. Some doubt Christ’s return

a. "Hey, it’s been 2000 years and I haven’t seen Him yet. Where is he?"

2. Some discredit God’s Word

ILL> While channel surfing recently I came across a documentary that was trying to explain the flood. I didn’t watch much, but basically it said that the flood in Noah’s day didn’t cover the entire earth and that Noah’s boat didn’t come to rest of Mt. Ararat, but rather someplace in the Persian Gulf. When Noah did get off the ark, those that survived the flood were angry and so Noah was in fear of his life.

ILL> The DaVinci Code strives to discredit Christ.

ILL> Before that, "The Last Temptation of Christ."