WHEN THE WORLD IS ON FIRE!
2 Pet. 3:5-14
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: THE FERTILITY PRAYER
1. A Pastor standing at the church’s door welcomed a lady who’d been raised there and was now married. “Hi Kathryn! It’s nice to see you’re married. How many children do you have?"
2. "Sadly, Pastor, we’ve not been blessed with any children."
"I’m sorry to hear that," said the Pastor. "I’m going to Israel next week and I’ve heard there’s a special blessing for putting a prayer in the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. I’ll put one there for you to have children.” “Thanks Pastor.”
3. Several years later, the Pastor meets Kathryn at the mall and, remembering their last meeting asked her, "So how is your family, How many children do you have?"
4. "Well Pastor, your prayers for us were answered. We’re now blessed with 11 children. We have one pair of twins and three sets of triplets."
5. "Praise God!" said the Pastor. "That’s awesome! I’d like to congratulate your husband. Where is he?"
6. "He’s currently in Jerusalem," replied Kathryn. "What’s he doing there? Is he on business?"
7. "No, he’s not there on business, Pastor. He’s there trying to find that note you had placed in the wall five years ago," Kathryn replied.
B. TEXT
5 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, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 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.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless…” 2 Pet. 3:5-14; NKJV.
C. MARK TWAIN STORY
1. Mark Twain was told by someone, “I’m afraid the world is just going to end!” Mark Twain replied, “That’s Ok. I think we can get along without it!” The truth is, we can, because there’s a new world coming!
2. How will it come?
a. Not by intellectuals;
b. Not by politicians.
c. Not by generals on the battlefields.
3. Why? Because a wise woman a long time ago said, “You can’t make a good omelet out of bad eggs, no matter how much you stir it.”
4. A NEW GODLY WORLD WILL ONLY BE BROUGHT IN BY JESUS CHRIST!
D. THESIS
1. In 2 Peter 3, Peter talks about 3 worlds:
3:6 Past Antediluvian “world that then existed;”
3:7 Present world - “heavens & earth which are now”
3:13 Prospective world , “New heavens and a new earth” of the future, wherein dwells righteousness.
2. Today we’re going to look at these three worlds, their connection to the coming of the Lord, and what kind of people we better be if we want to inherit the last world.
3. The title of this message is “When the World is on Fire!”
I. FIRST WORLD: WORLD OF NOAH
A. IT WAS A CREATED WORLD
1. God spoke and it came into existence. It wasn’t created by the big bang, but by the Word of God. This is very important.
2. If you’re wrong about the world’s origin, you may be wrong about its destiny! If you deny the past, you’re going to distort the present.
3. If you don’t understand how it came into being, you’re not going to understand how it’s going to wrap up.
B. IT BECAME A CORRUPTED WORLD
1. Genesis 6 says the Earth was filled with violence.
2. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart” Gen. 6:5-6.
3. Sin is committing an immoral act or a violent act, in the sight of God. If God says "Do not lie or steal" and you lie or steal, then you have sinned. If God says "Do not lust" and you lust, then you have sinned. Sin separates you from God (Isa. 59:2), because it’s contrary to His nature (“with You the wicked cannot dwell” Ps. 5:4).
4. HUMOR. Falling into sin isn’t fatal, staying in sin is. A lady asked an old fisherman who was standing on a wharf, “If you fell in the water here, would you drown?” “Naw,” he said. “Falling in the water doesn’t drown anybody; it’s the staying under that does the drowning.” Falling isn’t fatal but staying down is. (Denn Guptil)
5. The people of Noah’s time became so evil that God had to send the flood to wash away the evil. Noah preached to them for 120 years! God was long-suffering.
6. Methuselah lived 969 years; the longest that any human ever lived. Why? Because of God’s long-suffering nature. His name means “when he is dead, it will come.” The flood came when he died.
7. God held off, though people were so wicked, because He wanted to save a few more people. The waves of God’s justice were pounding furiously against the dam of His mercy.
8. It’s the same today. One day the waters of God’s wrath will be released! This world today is ripe for judgment.
II. PRESENT WORLD – DESTINED FOR FIRE
2 Pet. 3:7, 10-11; “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” 3:7. “the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved…” 3:10-11.
A. IT’S RESERVED FOR FIRE
1. Verse 7 “Reserved unto fire” means “stored with fire,” according to Kenneth Wuest. It means “crammed with fire.”
2. We live in the Nuclear age. We now know that atoms are the basic building blocks of nature. Atoms are made of a positive proton (and neutron) with a negative electron spinning around them billions of revolutions per second.
3. No one understands what the electrical charge is that holds them together (we can measure it, but we don’t know what it is) -- which keeps matter from disintegrating.
4. But it’s not a what, but a “who.” Col. 1:17 tells us that Jesus Christ “holds all things together.” Even solid things are actually whirling masses of energy, the visible is made up of invisible nuclear structures.
5. People used to scoff, “How is dirt going to burn?” We now know it’s all stored with fire! In Vs. 11, the word “dissolved” is the Greek word “Loose.” It’s also translated to “untie.”
7. The atoms will be untied and the result will be a releasing of nuclear force/fire that will completely destroy the natural universe.
B. THIS WILL HAPPEN AFTER 2ND COMING OF JESUS
1. HIS COMING WILL BE SUDDEN
a. There will be no warning bells. Just as He came in Bethlehem's manger on that starry night, even so He is coming again, only this time in His glory, in His power, in His authority, in His might, in His magnificent majesty.
b. Many won’t be ready when Jesus appears. If you’re looking for Jesus’ return, then you won’t be going places, or doing things, or spending your money on things you know He wouldn’t approve!
c. If you really believe He’s coming, you’ll be diligent about being in church, paying your tithes, praying, reading your Bibles, and witnessing to people so they won’t go to hell!
2. CHRIST’S COMING WILL BE SPECTACULAR.
a. “…the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the
heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Mt. 24:29-30.
b. The Coming of Christ will be so cataclysmic that unbelievers will throw their money down in the streets and run to hide in holes in the ground. Strong men will collapse onto the ground and roll up into fetal positions.
3. CHRIST’S COMING WILL BE SEVERE IN JUDGMENT.
a. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened….And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” Rev. 20:11-12.
b. I can’t say that I unreservedly want JESUS to come right now. His coming will mean the end of the dispensation of grace and that perhaps billions of souls will be sent to hell. There will be no second chance, no escape and no exit from hell.
c. Jesus said, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man” Lk. 21:36.
III. PROSPECTIVE WORLD
1. 2 Pet. 3:12-13; “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
2. After the 2nd Coming of Christ, He will dissolve the old, sinful universe, and create a new one.
3. The Prospective World will never be destroyed by fire or water. That world will be a forever world. Abraham looked for a
city whose builder & Maker was God. David said, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
A. IT’ A PROMISED WORLD
1. Vs. 13. “Pastor, how can you be so sure?” Because God has promised and God has never broken a promise.
2. If God would’ve ever been tempted to break His promise, it would have been when He had to send Jesus to the Cross. But He kept that promise.
3. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Rom. 8:32. If He kept that promise, you can be sure He’ll keep all the other ones!
4. Don’t think God has forgotten His promise for Jesus to come. “For the Day of the Lord WILL COME!”
B. IT’S A PURIFIED WORLD
1. “…wherein dwells righteousness.” The problem is sin. We think that more technology or education will make a better human. No, you just make more clever sinners!
2. We must have a Savior! A purifier. YOU WON’T GET TO THE NEW EARTH WITHOUT A NEW BIRTH. The new world will NOT be soiled by sin.
3. Rev 21:1,27. “Is your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life?” I didn’t ask you what church you attend. I’m asking if you’re born again. 2 Cor. 5:17, “If any one is in Christ they’re a new creature.” Are you?
IV. “WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS OUGHT YE TO BE?”
A. YOU SHOULD BE DIFFERENT
1. “Be diligent that you may be found in Him without spot & blameless.” “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” 3:11.
2. Word “manner” means “exotic or out of this world.” We need to be different.
3. A citizen is at home; a stranger is away from home; a pilgrim is headed home. We’re pilgrims. This world is not our home; we’re only passing through.
4. Someone said, “Lord, if I’m building a nest, put a thorn in it.” You ought to be different. YOU OUGHT TO:
B. BE LIVING FOR HIS COMING – (Vs 11) “in all holy conversation.” Our lifestyle should be holy. Very few today WANT to be holy.
C. BE LOOKING FOR HIS COMING – (Vs 12) We should be looking up, be anticipating His coming.
D. BE LONGING FOR HIS COMING - (Vs 15). No thief tells the time he’s going to come. Our problem is that we’re so in love with this world that we’re not looking/ longing for the next world.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. There’s a motivational speaker named Charles Tremendous Jones who is both accomplished and successful. He’s received many awards.
2. So he turned the basement of his house into a trophy room of sorts, covering its walls with his diplomas, certificates, letters of appreciation, and years of memorabilia.
3. Then a flood occurred. His basement was filled with water and mud. His life’s awards were all ruined.
4. In his anguish, he went to the Lord in prayer, telling him of his great loss. The Lord spoke to him and said, “Don’t worry about it Charles. I was going to burn it all anyway!”
B. THE CALL
1. Someday the world will be on fire! Jesus is coming! What manner of persons ought you to be? You should be LIVING, LOOKING, and LONGING for His coming!
2. Let’s ask God to reveal to us the motives of our hearts and humble our hearts to abandon this world and choose the world God is preparing for us!
3. Peter said we should have HASTEN/HURRY! (vs. 12). We don’t have time to play games. The hour is late.
4. We’re racing against sin, against Satan, against death, against every trick and trap that hell can suggest. We are racing to save the lives of multitudes of
[This is a rewrite of Adrian Roger’s message entitled, “There Is A New World Coming,” combined with some of Hyman Appleman on this passage.]
