BE PREPARED FOR THE SCOFFERS IIPeter 3:1-7
8-11-7
Today I want us to be aware of and prepared for those who will scoff at Jesus Christ’s return. Listen as I read today’s text found in II Peter 3:1-7
1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, ~~and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts*, [cares & desires]
4And saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation”.
5For this they willingly [a personal decision] are ignorant of,* that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition [destruction] of ungodly men.
Ø Lets keep this verse in mind as we think on what we’re told would be going on just before He returns:
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, [to make mocker] walking after their own lusts [cares *desires-
The 2nd coming of Jesus Christ and the end of the world is the subject of these verses.
People that know nothing about the Lord Jesus and His 2nd coming seem to be fascinated about this subject. But fascination is not what God is after in discussing the return of His Son and the end of the world. What God is after is preparation—for man to prepare himself to receive God’s Son.
Peter tells us that the first thing to know is; —scoffers shall come.
I want to point out 5 things here in these verses:
1. Peter says in vs 1-2 that he wants to bring to their memory what they have
heard before.
2 And then in vs 3 that there would come scoffers in the last days, & that is where were at in our day and time.
3 Also in vs 3 that people would be walking according to what they wanted & desired.
4 Also in vs 3 they would scoff and ridicule the idea of the return of Jesus Christ.
5. Then Peter says in vss 5-7 that they are willingly ignorant
1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
The phrase "pure minds" vs 1 means to have a clear, pure, unmixed, focused mind.
Thoughts are to be true and pure from the untrue and impure.
Paul said in the last days men would have only a form of godliness.
2ndt Tim. 3:5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2nd tim.4: 4 and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. This leads me to say right here that if your not in a sound Bible preaching & teaching church your wasting a lot of time that could be to your advantage as for as your growing in the things of God are concerned. Bible doctrine is most important.
I’ve talked to people that had never heard about the rapture, and its so sad. That tells me that their going to a so called church with bad leadership. form of godliness
Our mind must be pure and clear from wandering and impure thoughts if it is to study the Word of God and learn its great teachings. The mind must be pure and clear of worldly thoughts if it is to understand the great truth of the return of Jesus Christ to earth.
Let me remind us that we have not arrived as yet, all of us are still in these corrupt bodies, and all of us need to ask God to forgive us of our sins every day.
1st john 1: 6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. So we need to be cleansed of our sins every day.
Notice another truth here in vss. 1-2 ~ the unity of Scripture. ~
The prophets of the Old Testament, the words of Jesus Christ, and the preaching and teaching of the apostles are all tied together and put on an equal footing—at least by the time the letter of Second Peter was written. They were all considered to be authoritative, to be the Word of God.
1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
We notice here in vss. 1-2 that the emphasis is on a pure and clear mind, a mind that is focused and learning and remembering what it has been taught.
But let me say that before a person can remember something, he first has to study and learn the facts.
Rom. 10: 17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
We must hear & be taught the truth of the Word of God we’re to learn all we can about the return of Jesus Christ to earth, after all that is our blessed hope.
Titus 2: 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
The apostles studied the prophets and the words of Jesus. They studied the Scripture;
they knew about the return of Christ to earth. And so they were able to offer great hope to their people, the great hope of the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth.
Ø Let me say here in case there might be some listing that don’t realize that the rapture of the True Church and the 2nd coming are two separate events, the next thing to happen on Gods Prophetic Calendar is the rapture and then the 2nd coming 7 years later.
Jesus came to the earth the 1st time and completed His mission in dying in sinful mans place on the Cross of Calvary, and then He was buried and raised from the dead on the 3rd day, and then ascending back to The Father where He is now seated at the Fathers Right Hand, and is now making intercession for us that are saved, since He came and completed His work on the cross, gone back to heaven, history as we know it is now in its last stage.
Right now, the time between His first coming and His second coming, it is called the age of grace, the church age, God the HOLY SPIRIT is calling out a Bride for the Lord Jesus Christ. The True Church—the age when God’s mercy and grace are flowing out to the world through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us be aware that this period of history is called the church age as well as---
"these last times" 1 Peter 1:20 20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
·"the last days here in our text verses" 2 Peter 3:3;
And in 2 Tim. 3:1 1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
and in 1st John 2:18 18Little children, it is the last time:
And then in Jude 18 18How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
In these last of the last days that we’re in, the final chapter of human history is being written.
How do we know? Let me bring to our memory, that there are 7 dispensations** of time found in the Word of God.---7 is Gods # FOR COMPLETETION & perfection.
1 -of innocence -2 conscious -3 human government- 4 promise- 5 law -6 grace
7 -Kingdom
Realize that we are now in the 6th dispensation, the grace dispensation.
Realize also that we are now over 2000 years in this 6th dispensation, that leaves only the Kingdom Dispensation, and the Kingdom Dispensation cannot start until the King is here.
I personally believe that when the last soul it takes to make up the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ that that’s when the rapture will take place.
No man knows the day nor the hour but the Father only. He is not just haphazardly decide one day that, ‘well this seems like a good day for the rapture”
The day has already been appointed and when that day arrives we’re going out of here.
Hebs.10: 37For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
When the minute of the hour of the day arrive, as he has pre appointed, the church will leave this earth all at the same time, the time will not be early and it will not be postponed.
Hebs. 10:37--- he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
So there are going to be scoffers right up till the rapture of the church and even into the tribulation. Ps. 2: 4He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Soon Jesus Christ will call His Church to meet Him in the air, and then the 7 year tribulation will run its coarse here on this earth and we that we’re called up to meet Him in the air will receive our just rewards, then the Marriage of the Lord Jesus and His Bride will take place, and then there’ll be the marriage Super there in the clouds of Glory, [Rev. 19] And then He will return to this earth with His Bride to take His rightful position as King of kings and Lord of lords as He destroys the armies of the antichrist and all that make war against Him, then He’ll set up His Kingdom as He rules the earth with a rod of iron from Jerusalem for the 1000 years as we’re told about in the book of the Revelation.
You and I that were raptured out before the 7 year tribulation will rule with Him.
As He illustrates in the parable in
Lk.19: 17And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.**
Let us obey the Lord’s exhortation, to watch and be ready. We are to listen for the shout, “come up hither” -Rev 4:1
What we all need to understand is, we’re in the last days of this grace age, and a sure indication of this is the scoffers are here.
The earth perished before; God spoke the Word and judged the world. His Word destroyed the world with a flood and all life was destroyed except Noah and his family and two of every creature.
God did not let people go on and on in their sin forever. He judged and punished sinners.
the mockers willingly choose to ignore and reject the facts about a flood that destroyed all of life. The bones and the imprint of the bones of sea life can be found all over the dry land of the earth, yet men continue to reject the evidence of a cataclysmic flood that destroyed life upon earth.
They reject Him because they want to control their own lives and live as they wish .
We can see the day approaching as we watch the ungodliness on the news every day.
But let us be assured that God is in full control, nothing happens that He don’t allow.
Hebs.10: 26 to exhort one another--and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
