Title: To Fear, Or Not to Fear?
Text: II Peter 3:8-15
The Big Idea: Christians may be at peace despite the cataclysmic events and judgment that will accompany the Day of the Lord.
Introduction
There is a 2008 remake in the works that debuts this month. However the original, based on the short story debuted in 1951. In “The Day the Earth Stood Still” a flying saucer orbits Earth, and lands in Washington, DC, on the Mall. Klaatu steps out of the flying saucer and announces that he has come in peace.
In the YouTube.com Trailer from the 1951 film, Klaatu, who is acting as the ambassador from outer space, tells the American people, “If you continue your violent ways, this earth of yours will be reduced to a burned out cinder.”
The ambassador from outer space came to a violent earth to bring a message of peace in order that peace might reign throughout the universe. In the sci-fi story there is the clear threat of destruction if the opportunity for peace is rejected.
In the original cut of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, an angel appeared to the shepherds and told them to not be afraid because he was bringing good news of great joy for everyone! And as he was speaking the angel was joined by a host of others (described as the armies of heaven) saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.”
The birth of Christ was the first Advent… and the anticipated second coming of Christ will be the second Advent. It is the second coming of Christ that is being described in our text today. And it is God’s desire and purpose that the people of Earth “make every effort to live a pure and blameless lives. And be at peace with God.” II Peter 3:14
It is God’s plan and purpose to extend his offer of peace so that as many as possible will turn to him and receive his mercy, grace, and peace.
1. Extended time is a demonstration of God’s grace.
“You must not forget that, to the Lord, a thousand years is like a day. The Lord really isn’t being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient… he does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.” II Peter 3:8-9
I suspect we have not fully grasped the extent of God’s love for us. Paul attempted to express the greatness of God’s love in Ephesians when he expressed his desire that we might understand how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. And that we might experience the love of Christ, though it is so great we will never fully understand it. Ephesians 3:18-19
We get a glimpse into the heart of God in the telling of Jewish lore.
Illustration: An old Hasidic story tells of a great celebration in heaven after the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians at the Red Sea and the Egyptian army was drowned. The angels were cheering and dancing for joy… the hosts of heaven were ecstatic.
Then one of the angels asked the archangel Michael, “Where is God? Why isn’t God celebrating?”
Michael answered, “God is not here because he is off by himself weeping. You see, thousands of people were drowned today.” (Tony Campolo, Let me Tell you a Story, submitted by Debi Zahn, PreachingToday.com)
If we take anything from here today it is this… God loves mankind with a love we cannot fully grasp. God wants all people of all time and of every place to experience his love and the peace of God that defies our comprehension.
There is no denying there has been a considerable lapse in time since mankind first heard of the promise of Christ’s return.
Delay has the potential for two effects:
• Delay can cause people to think that the threat is not real… they may even scoff at very idea of the return of Christ. (II Peter 3:3-4)
The fact that the Earth has been around for a long time does not mean that God has not periodically judged its people when their excesses became too great… the flood during Noah’s time and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are two examples.
Doubters may doubt and scoffers may scoff, but II Peter 3:7 clearly states that God has also commanded that the heavens and earth will be consumed by fire on the day of judgment, when ungodly people will perish.
There is an old story of how Satan called his emissaries in anticipation of sending them to Earth to aid men and women in the ruination of their souls. He asked each what he would tell the people of Earth to cause their spiritual ruin. The first said, “I will tell them there is no heaven.” Another said, “I will tell them there is no hell.” And another said, “I will tell them there is no hurry.” (Bruce Thielmann, “Tide Riding,” Preaching Today No. 30)
Delay can lull us into doubts of the reality of heaven and hell… delay can lull us into disbelief regarding the coming of Christ. And delay can lull us into complacency to the point that we have absolutely no sense of spiritual urgency. That is a real danger and one we all must confront.
However, delay may also be understood as a gift from God. So, in light of that impending and imminent event, delay can also give people hope.
• Delay can give people a renewed sense of hope and opportunity… they may gratefully realize that God has extended to them a gift of grace.
God’s story is one of extended opportunities of grace.
2. The return of the Lord will be an unexpected interruption in time.
“But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment.” II Peter 3:10
The truth of the grace and love of God must not displace the truth of God’s justice and judgment.
• We are free to receive or reject God’s grace.
• We are responsible for our choices and readiness for Christ’s return.
Illustration: Bonnie and I make the trek between Denver and Chicago a few times each year. Over the years we have seen the Illinois Toll Way System evolve and become increasingly, efficient and for those who do not have and EZ Pass transponder, more expensive. Those with an EZ Pass transponder are given an account. Drivers who use the toll way then place money in that account and each time they drive through a toll booth, the cost of the toll is deducted from that account. It is less costly, about half the toll charged those who pay at the toll booth, and saves the time and bother of stopping at the toll booth. I am always a bit envious as I sit at a toll booth and watch someone with an EZ Pass go whizzing through the electronic gate.
In Switzerland drivers pay 40 Swiss Francs and receive a window sticker that grants them the right to drive on their autoroute system for one year. Traditionally, traffic police allow drivers the entire month of January to purchase their new sticker, but on February first, the police are on the autoroute exit ramps checking for cars without the new sticker. No excuse is accepted; no additional time is given.
The people of Switzerland are given a month of grace but at the end of that month the grace period ends and they must be responsible for the consequences of their neglect. (Alan Wilson, Switzerland, PreachingToday.com)
In granting us time, God is acting consistently in regard to his desire that all receive his grace. However he is also being consistent in making it clear that he is not indifferent to the fact that some choose to opt out on his offer of grace Opting out is not without its consequences… . Christ will come and with his coming, “the earth and everything in it will be exposed to judgment.” II Peter 3:10
But that promise need not instill fear and dread in our hearts. It need not be viewed as an impending disaster looming somewhere on the distant horizon.
3. God has promised new heavens and a new earth to those who look forward to Christ’s return.
“Everything will melt away…but we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world where everyone is right with God.” II Peter 3:11-13
People buy insurance as a hedge against or to protect themselves in the event of a loss.
The promoters who offer prizes for golfers who make a “hole-in-one” purchase indemnification insurance that pays in the event someone actually makes a “hole-in-one.” Hedging against the possibility that someone might actually win is common practice for contests and game shows. I would guess that the producers of Deal or No Deal have purchased indemnification insurance.
• Tina Turner and Entertainment Tonight co-host Mary Hart both insure their legs.
• Jimmy Durante insured his nose for $50,000.
• Bruce Springsteen and Rod Stewart both insure their voices for $6 million.
• Food critic Egon Ronay has a $400,000 policy insuring his taste buds. And the chief taster for Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream insures his tasting ability for $1 million.
• A scotch whiskey distiller even bought a policy for $1.5 million as a hedge against their promise to pay a million and a half to anyone who captured the Loch Ness Monster alive. (What were they thinking… or more likely, drinking?) (Brendan McKenna, “From Celebrity Body Parts to Alien Abductions, Some People Insure the Oddest Things,” Insure.com)
Fear and prudence are the driving forces for people purchasing insurance… some have even referred to accepting Christ as one’s savior as a fire insurance policy. The suggestion is that people accept Christ to hedge their bet, so to speak, if in fact heaven and hell are real places. They are insuring themselves against the devastating predictions and events surrounding the end times and the judgment of hell.
The born again believer, the devoted follower of Jesus Christ does not need to be hedging his chances. God, in his grace and mercy does not want us to live in fear of the coming of Christ, the end of the world as we know it, and judgment. The bible says, “Look forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world where everyone is right with God.” II Peter 3:14
The story today is about God and what God has done and what God is doing… it is something of a saga. It is a tale of epic proportions. It is a story of God’s grace that is played out over the centuries and with each passing day we move closer to the conclusion. But while the story is primarily about the activity of God… it also about how we respond to this extended offer of God’s grace.
4. In the interim we are not left to live lives of anxiety or inactivity.
“While you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God. And remember, the Lord is waiting so that people have time to be saved.” II Peter 3:14-15
A little girl said she liked Santa Claus better than Jesus because “you have to be good for Santa only at Christmas but for Jesus you have to be good all the time.” (Vance Havner Quotebook, Christianity Today, Vol. 38, No. 14)
God does what us to live good and godly lives in this interim period as we await the return of Christ.
For those who are followers of Christ:
• We are instructed to make every effort to live pure and blameless lives and to be at peace with God.
For those who are not followers of Christ:
• This is your opportunity to repent of those things that have kept you from God, turn to God and receive forgiveness, and let God begin his work of transforming your mind and conforming your life to Christ’s image. Romans 12:1-2 and 8:28-29
I enjoy good western stories. Open Range is an old fashioned western that pits free-range cowboys against land-owning ranchers. As a range war brews Charley, a Civil War Veteran who has done and seen horrible things, meets Sue Barlow. For the first time Charley sees the possibility of a different kind of life for himself… a life filled with love, a home, and a family. He sees a life wherein he may leave his murderous past behind and begin all over again. (Open Range, Touchstone Pictures, 2003)
That is what God’s grace gives people who live in the interim waiting for Christ to return. God’s grace gives every person the time and the opportunity to begin to pursue the living of good and godly life.
Conclusion
I’ve read that marathoners never run over twenty miles in their preparation to run a twenty-six mile race. The last six miles of a marathon is for the first time runner, a “no man’s land.” You are to prepare for that last six miles of “no mans land” knowing that it will be the most challenging thing you have ever done. And you have to believe that you have trained enough and are ready to run through to the end.
We are living in a “no man’s land” of sorts as we await the return of Christ. Though it is territory we’ve not traversed before, It is not something we are to fear because we are prepared for whatever is to come.
I want to close by reading the prayer I have prayed this week as part of my daily reading and prayer… it is not a prayer of fear, it is a prayer of hope and peace.
“Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and fore ever. Amen.” (The Divine Hours, Prayers for autumn and Wintertime, Appointed Prayer for the Week, Friday – First Week in Advent, P. 314)
