Here Today Gone Tomorrow

Here Today; Gone Tomorrow

II Peter 3:8-13

10-27-02

In October 2000 www.discover.com listed “ 20 Ways the World Could End.” The list included everything from asteroid impact to giant solar flares to global war.

World is wondering: How & When it will all End?

No longer does their discussion center around Whether it will end

Almost everyone knows it will

Question= How & When

Peter Addresses that Question under Divine Inspiration:

In verse 10 makes this emphatic Statement: “But the day of the Lord will come!”

not say “may come”-not say “could come” but will come!

I. The Certainty of His Coming!

(1) Then as Now—all kinds of statements being made about Coming of Lord

End of World

(a) on one hand, Quack Predictions that failed to materialize other hand, Cynical Denial that Lord would come at all.

SCOFFERS

saying “Where is the promise of His coming?

For since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

In other words, people were saying in Peter’s day

You fundamentalist Christians who believe in the literal return of Christ are full of baloney.

Peter wrote this epistle about 60 years after the resurrection of Christ.

No doubt some of these scoffers were at one time excited about possibility of Christ’s Return.

But 1 year passed – then 10—after awhile decided not going to happen.

(2) In first part of chapter, Peter Answers their Unbelief

1st points out that their scoffing in itself = sign of the end

II Pet. 3:3 “Knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days , walking according to their own lust— and in vs 4 saying the very thing these people were saying.

People who deny Promise of Christ’s Return Today are doing exactly same thing 2nd Reminds them that their recollection of History is flawed

Were SAYING—since beginning of creation all things continue as they were.

But what about the FLOOD? What about Noah’s day?

Those people ignored the warnings----refused God’s way of salvation. and the End came for them!

verses 5 & 6 “For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.”

God’s Judgment in Noah’s day stands as Reminder to all people that things do not just Evolve

things do not just continue as they were

there is a God in Heaven & He does Intervene in affairs of men(according to His will—according to His Plan)

3. Notice in vs 5 How all this came about: “…by the word of God…”

God Decreed it & it Happened.

Was not just result of natural Consequences.

Was an Intention & Personal INVOLVEMENT of God Himself w/ His Creation.

4. These scoffers = intelligent people -- NOT just innocently Overlook the facts

vs 5 Peter says the “willfully” forget. ( SELECTIVE Memory)

Notable evolutionists and denier of divine intervention and divine judgment, Aldous Huxley,

wrote Confessions of a Professed Atheist. Listen to what he said, "I had motives for not wanting the world to have meaning, consequently assumed it had none and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption.

The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics.

He’s also concerned to prove that there’s no valid reason why he should personally not do just what he wants to do. For myself,...writes Huxley...as no doubt for most of contemporaries, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation.

The liberation we desired was simultaneously a liberation from a certain political and economic system......and a liberation from a certain system of morality.

We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom," end quote Essentially that=what Peter saying about these Scoffers in his day at end of verse 3

“…walking according to their own lusts” vs 5 “willfully forget”

verse 7 “But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

What Hold everything together as we speak?

“the word of the Lord”—His command!

Turn Heb. 1:3

Subject = Jesus, Son of God

vs 2 “Heir of all things”

“through Whom all creation came into being

Middle of vs 3 statement made about Jesus –

Not only is He the brightness of God’s person and the express Image of His person, but He is also “…upholding all things by the word of His power…”

Every Proton & Neutron in the Atomic structure –held together “by the word of His power.”

Every Planet is held in its Orbit “by the word of His power.”