1. I’ve shared this before but it’s worth repeating again, I really believe we’re living in the LAST DAYS.
• The FINAL DAYS leading up to the coming of the Lord, the rapture of the church!
• We’re seeing things in our generation that were never seen.
• Israel, Technology, Knowledge Increasing, false teachers, etc.
IT’S CLEAR: Jesus said…
Matthew 24.36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
• Yet there is that expectancy that we know the times & seasons!
• To live expectantly for the return of Jesus Christ.
It’s a BLESSED hope.
Titus 2.13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
It’s a JOY-FILLED hope.
Isaiah 25.9 And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
It’s a PURIFYING hope.
1 John 3.3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
It’s a MOTIVATING hope!
1 Peter 1.7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
We believe, as did the early church, in the anytime, soon, imminent return of Jesus Christ! – it’s just so awesome!
• And then there is v1…
I. (3:1-4) QUESTION GOD’S PROMISES
1. (1-2) Another Reminder.
a. Don’t forget guys all that we’ve already learned.
b. Repetition is something Peter used a lot to make sure we learned & grasped & understood his teachings.
c. Flip back to 1:12-15
d. He saw it as NEGLIGENCE if he didn’t continually remind us.
NOTE: So much of Bible study is repetition!
• God reminding us of His love, His Grace, His mercy.
• God reminding us of His holiness and His commands for us to live holy and righteous lives.
APP: The cradle of every cult and false teaching is the sinful desire in man to want new truths tailored to our wills not God’s.
• False teaching is birthed just the way Paul described:
2 Timothy 4.3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
It’s not NEW TRUTH that God will give us. He’s not going to make up new doctrine to satisfy curiosities.
• It’s NEW EXPERIENCES IN ESTABLISHED TRUTHS that the Lord is giving us day by day.
• NEW TRUTH, NEW TRUTH! NO, just live out the truths that you already know and watch the Lord do a wonderful work!
• And notice… the truths came by the Holy Prophets, the apostles, directly from Jesus Himself!
2. (3-4) Where is the promise of His coming?!
a. This questioning of the promise of God not only hits at the reality of His soon return…
b. But it’s also the birthplace of the spiritually bankrupt theory of evolution!
c. Oh everything just continues on as it always has been.
d. But Peter says, NO! The world was created by a MIGHTY ACT of God and God is in control!
But SCOFFERS & MOCKERS will come!
• They’ll say there is no God.
Psalm 53.1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."…
• They’ll say that man just oozed up from some slime and an eyeball formed.
• And then that eyeball grew a head and into a monkey…
• Then it’s convenient to say you’re not accountable to God.
• You’re just another animal so live like one!
• But the Bible says… Old Testament & New Testament.
• Man was created in the image of God and is accountable to God who created him!
Notice too that the mockers come against the promise of Jesus soon return!
• We’ve all heard this haven’t we? Oh that coming of Jesus thing!
• My grandma taught me that and hers and where is HE?
• We can answer that… He’s in heaven preparing to come again!
II. (3:5-8) QUESTION GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
3. (5-6) Willfully forget.
a. God judged this world with a flood but those who come mocking willfully forget & deny this truth.
NOW as Christians, we can’t pick and choose what to believe and what not to believe.
• Well I believe in a flood but not that Jonah story.
• You know, I really like the story about Joseph, but not Red Sea.
• We can’t cut up & cut out from the Bible.
In the 18th century, the U. S. Congress once issued a special edition of Thomas Jefferson’s Bible. It was a simple copy of our Bible with all references to the supernatural eliminated. Jefferson, in selecting, had confined himself solely to the moral teachings of Jesus.
The closing words of this Bible are: “There laid they Jesus and rolled a great stone at the mouth of the sepulchre and departed.”
Thank God, our Bible ended with the news that “He is risen!”
But I’ll tell you… it’s not so much a battle with the Bible as it is a battle with Jesus Christ. So… folks will say I don’t believe in…
• … God creating Adam & Eve! Jesus did (Matt 19:4)
• … a literal worldwide flood! Jesus did (Luke 17:27)
• … God judged Sodom/Gom for homosexual sin. (Lk 17:28-29)
• … Jonah was swallowed by a large fish. Jesus did (Matt 12:40)
• Jesus believed in the historical accuracy of the Word (Matt 12)
• Jesus believed in the spiritual clarity of the Bible (Luke 24:25)
• Jesus believed in the Final Authority of the Bible (Matt 4)
Peter says, they WILLFULLY FORGET the truth that God judged this world with a flood, saving only 8 people in Noah’s family.
• They willingly choose not to believe that God intervened in times past in the history of man… & continues to intervene today.
Psalm 33.6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
And v7, the heavens & earth which are now preserved are preserved by the same power that God used to destroy it!
• So that our lives are dependent upon the faithfulness of God!
• Aren’t’ you glad & rejoice that God is faithful!
• What if everything depended on your faithfulness. OH MAN!
2 Timothy 2.13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
And although God promised not to destroy the earth again by a flood, the earth as we know it will not last into eternity.
Isa 66.15 For behold, the LORD will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.
III. (3:8-10) QUESTION GOD’S PATIENCE
1. (8) 1000 years as one day!
• God lives outside of our time domain.
• We look at things within time, God is able to look at things from outside the limitations of time: He’s eternal!
Psalm 90.4 For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night.
NOTE: SO when mockers come and say, it’s been 2000 years since Jesus died and he’s hasn’t come yet!!
• We can answer, “yup, it’s been a whole 2 days!”
Isa. 55.8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
2. (9) God is not slack!
• I’m so thankful for the longsuffering of God.
• He’s been patiently waiting for you.
• Jesus didn’t come in 1990… I was saved in 1991
• Didn’t come in 2003… you were saved in 2004
• Hasn’t come yet, because today some will be saved!
WHY? Because it’s not God’s heart, it’s not his loving nature that ANY SHOULD PERISH.
• God sent His only begotten son for the SIN-FILLED WORLD!
• Every sinner, not just the elect.
• Jesus even died for the ones that willingly deny Him.
2 Peter 2.1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
There is no one outside the reach of Jesus Christ.
• He’s come to save all who will receive Him by faith!
2 Peter 3.15 …and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
Don’t give up on that husband… wife… neighbor… mom… dad… brother… sister… friend… enemy… God’s patience is an extension of hope that more would enter into the kingdom… even today.
Mockers will come… yes. But believers will abide in Jesus serving him and loving others until He comes again!
