CONTINUING THE THOUGHT. Last week we spent our time together considering the reality of Jesus’ Second Coming and Power to Judge sin and sinners especially in light of the false teachers who were denying such among the Church that Peter was writing to. The false teachers denied Jesus’ Second Coming upon the basis of their disbelief in the Scriptures, the love of their own sin, and a misperception of the times and Peter refuted all their claims encouraging and exhorting the Christian to hold firm to and live in light of the reality of Jesus’ return. Another charge that these false teachers was bringing forth was, “If Jesus was going to return to receive His own and judge sin and sinners, then why hasn’t He come back? If He hasn’t come back by now it is very unlikely that He ever will.” These false teachers saw time pass and the increasingly depraved state of the world and figured that if Jesus hadn’t come to put an end to it all by now then surely He never will. Why in the world would He wait and all the while watch as things just get worse and worse.
2 PETER 3:8-17
GOD’S RELATIONSHIP TO TIME. 3:8-9a
The first error in their thinking was that they were trying to measure God’s faithfulness, or perceived lack thereof, to fulfill His promises by employing our experience of time and timing. They tried to view God within the confines of the human experience. We are confined to and conformed by time (seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months, years, etc…) because we are finite people. God, however, is not confined to nor conformed by time but exists outside of time. Time may measure us but God measures time. God is not limited to the “ticking of the clock” and the “turning of the calendar” as we are. Therefore, to say that God is not faithful to keep His promises on the basis of how much time has transpired on earth is to try to confine Him to our relationship to time. He is above time. What can be done in 1000 years by us can be done in 1 day by God and what we want done in 1 day by God may take 1000 years as we measure it. Therefore, we do not consider His faithfulness to His promises on the basis of the passing of time. We consider His faithfulness to keep His promises on the basis of who He is—He who does not and can not lie.
WHY IS JESUS WAITING TO COME BACK? 3:9b-10
PATIENT LOVE. Peter does not simply deny the fact that according to our human reasoning it doesn’t make sense as to why Jesus has not parted the sky to come back and make all things right. Why is it that the Lord tarries? The answer is because He is FULL OF LOVE, GRACE, MERCY and PATIENCE. Peter makes it abundantly clear that the reason for the Lord’s delay is due to His love for His children. Jesus is sovereign over time and history and knows that there is a measure of time that the Father has determined and that measure is for the purpose of salvation. The Lord stands upon the threshold of time and space awaiting the command of the Father to return but in the meantime He stands at the threshold of time and space loving, longing for and celebration the celebration of His own. THERE IS A PLAN AND THAT PLAN INCLUDES THE SALVATION OF ALL WHO WILL AND THE LORD IS PATIENTLY WAITING FOR THE FULLNESS OF HIS OWN TO COME TO FRUITION IN SALVATION. So, while we may wonder why the Lord is waiting let it be known that He is waiting because of His loving patience for those who do not yet know Him, desiring all to be saved and none to perish. The Second Coming of Jesus is being delayed because of His patient and long-suffering love for people in desperate need of Him.
• WAITING FOR A LADY. One of my favorite movies of all time has a scene where a man, longing for a relationship with a woman, shows up at a meeting place at 10:00am in hopes to see the woman of his dreams showing up for a date. He waits and waits and waits for hours and she never shows us. While he is waiting he never concludes that she is not going to show up but with joyful optimism patiently waits in hope for her. Why did he wait? Because he longed to have this date with this special lady.
Why is the Lord waiting? He desires the salvation of people. He longs for hearts to be turned from sin, self and idols unto Himself in love. He longs to rescue the perishing. He longs to save the suffering. He longs to redeem the refused. HE IS PATIENTLY WATING…IS IT FOR YOU?
JESUS IS PATIENTLY WAITING BUT THE DAY WILL COME. While it is good news that the Lord is patient with us not desiring any to perish, there is coming a day when the wrath of God upon sin and sinners, that has been stored up, will come and the earth will be destroyed and all that will be left is judgment. Jesus’ Second Coming will be sudden and unexpected and because of the sudden and unexpected nature of His Second Coming many will meet Him unprepared.
The WADDY WATER TOWER allowed water to be dispersed proportionately to the need that exists. Little by little water came from this tower. On Saturday, the water tower collapsed, unexpectedly and without warning, and when all the water that was being stored up was suddenly unleashed and without restraint the effects were devastating. Likewise, God’s wrath is being revealed in the here and now in small measures against sin but there is coming a day, unexpectedly and without warning, when His wrath will be poured out in an unrestrained fashion and when it does, like some of the property in Waddy, the result will be devastating.
JESUS TOOK UPON HIMSELF THE WAVE OF GOD’S WRATH FOR US. We fear not, however, as those who have been saved by Jesus for He has absorbed the totality of God’s wrath against our sin on the Cross. Every nail that was driven, every thorn that was pressed into His head, every piece of flesh that was ripped from His back by the CAT OF 9 TAILS (9) that was laden with shards of glass and bone to maximize pain and effectiveness, every cursing, cussing, ridicule and mockery that was cast upon Him was due to us. IT WAS ALL OURS BUT HE, BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE, GRACE AND MERCY, WILLINGLY WENT TO THE CROSS TO PAY OUR PRICE AND ABSORB OUR PENALTY SO THAT WE MAY LIVE!!!! For those who have trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord they are judged in order to be rewarded not condemned. For those who have rejected Jesus in this life they will be judged according to what they have done and in the face of His perfection and perfect requirements they will all be found wanting. Eternity separated from Him in hell will be their condemnation. INVITATION #1
WHILE WE ARE WAITING. 3:11-17
As Peter concludes his second letter, his words of encouragement and exhortations for his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are echoes or reminders of that which he has already said:
1. LIVE A DETACHED LIFE (3:11-13). Because this world and all that is in it let us live lives that reflect such. Let us live, in essence, a DETACHED LIFE enjoying and stewarding all that the Lord graciously gives us but, unlike those who do not believe, we do so with obedient and generous hearts to the glory of the Lord. If we really believe that everything will burn, money, houses, cars, etc…, then we will relate differently to these items. For those who do not believe these things money, fame, and all sorts of material possessions become idols that they worship. We, however, worship the One, True God!
2. DILIGINTLY PURSUE PERSONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS (3:14). Because we believe in the Second Coming of our Savior and Lord let this reality motivate us to be found diligent in our pursuit of personal holiness and righteousness so that when He returns he will find us pleasing unto Himself.
3. PASSIONATELY DESIRE THE SALVATION OF THE LOST (3:15-16). Because we believe in the truth of Jesus’ judgment upon sin and sinners and that those who stand before Him in judgment, not having been forgiven of their sins because of their rejection of Him in this life, will be found wanting and face an eternity separated from Him in hell, LET US HAVE A PASSIONATE DESIRE FOR THE SALVATION OF THE LOST through the diligent and unapologetic proclamation of His message of salvation. IT IS NOT ONLY THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL THAT IS NEEDED BUT A PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL PARTNERED WITH AN INVITATION TO BELIEVE THAT IS NEEDED. FOR THE LOST TO BE SAVED.
4. RESIST THE LURE OF FALSE TEACHINGS (3:16b-17). Because we know and believe that false teachers seek to lead astray let us be determined to resist the lure of false teachings by GROW[ING] IN THE KNOWLEDGE AND GRACE OF JESUS (3:18). It is a foolish thing to claim salvation by Jesus but have no desire to grow in Him through His Word. It simply does not make sense! The enemy would love nothing more than to instill a false sense of hope and security into people by leading them to believe false teaching. GOD HAS GIVEN US HIS WORD TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO US, TO GUIDE US, TO GROW US AND TO TEACH US IN HIS WAYS and this all for our good and His glory. Therefore, let us be a people who are devoted to growing in the knowledge and grace of Jesus through a commitment to His Word.
INVITATION #2
Christian, are you committed to living a DETACHED LIFE in PURSUIT OF HOLINESS rather than materialistic things? Christian, are you GROWING N THE KNOWLEDGE AND GRACE OF JESUS manifest by a commitment to GROWING IN HIS WORD? Are you willing to sacrifice an hour on Sunday or Wednesday to put yourself in a context where honest study of the Scriptures takes place? In so doing, you will equip yourself from the lure of “ear tickling” false teachings. Christian, do you have a passionate desire for the salvation of the lost? Are you showing the Gospel? Are you telling the Gospel? Are you inviting people to trust Jesus? ARE YOU WILLING TO PRAY?
