Hastening His Coming

2 Peter 3:9-13 “…looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…”

INTRODUCTION

A. Congregational Feedback: “I Can’t Wait For Christ’s Return Because__________”

B. “Hastening The Coming” – Very Odd!

1. How can we “hastening His coming”?

2. Isn’t that day fixed in time by God already – unchangeable?

3. Can I really move that date up in history & make it happen earlier?

C. Word Study On “Hastening”

1. Greek word = Óðåõäù or “Speudo”

2. Used in other places of the bible

Acts 20:16 “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem…”

Luke 2:16 “And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.”

Luke 19:5-6 “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.”

3. “Hastening” = to do something with haste or speed / speed something up

a. again the question – “Can I speed up or hurry up God’s return?”

b. how?

c. I want to offer two answers

I. ANSWER #1 - YOU CAN SEEM TO HASTEN IT

A. Have You Ever Boiled Water? - Watched Pot Never Boils / Popcorn Never Pops

B. Hurry It Up By Not Obsessing With It – But Engaging In Other Important Things

1. Sitting around saying “Come quickly Lord Jesus” – seems like an eternity

a. but engage in life, engage yourself in God’s work

b. before you know it, He comes

2. Same concept

a. at work – will the workday never end?

b. on vacation – miserable vs. great vacation

c. raising your children

d. marriage

3. How soon the end “seems” to come depends on your level of involvement and enjoyment in life.

II. ANSWER #2 – YOU CAN ACTUALLY HASTEN IT

A. Challenge An Assumption I’ve Grown Up With In My Mind: Isn’t The Date For Christ’s Second Coming Set & Fixed & Scheduled By God – Unknown To Anyone?

Answer #1 = Yes a time unknown to anyone

Answer #2 = Not necessarily a “fixed and pre-set” time in the future

Mathew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

Matthew 13:32-37 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning-- 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

Zechariah 14:7 “It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD-- Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.

God “knows” the day, but it doesn’t say He “pre-scheduled” the day

While God, in His omniscience & foresight (like our hindsight) knows the day & hour, but that doesn’t mean He has necessarily “fixed” or “scheduled” a particular day yet!

B. Based On This & Some Scripture – Astounding – We Can Hurry Up Christ’s Return

1. He won’t come until we complete our job in spreading Gospel

Matthew 24:14 “ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Mark 13:10 “And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”

2. He won’t come until we pull out the stops, sacrifice & put it all on the line

Revelation 6:9-11 “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”

3. If We’re In No Hurry, God Is In No Hurry