2 Peter 3 - The Return of Christ
Turn with me this morning to the book of 2 Peter, chapter 3. We have been going through this book that we find at the end of the NT, five books before Revelation, the last book of the Bible. It is written by Peter, the bold fisherman who ended up leaving his nets and following Christ. And we saw last week that in 3:1, Peter is writing to REMIND us of things that we already know to be true, because we need to keep them in the forefront of our thinking. He says, Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. Here in 2 Peter 2, Peter is reminding us of the dangers at hand in the church. He is writing to remind us of things we know to be true. He reminds us that we need to go beyond just being comfortable in being a Christian, and
• we need to add to our faith 7 different qualities - I call them spiritual One-a-days. He reminds us that
• the Lord is returning - and we need to look for His return constantly. Peter reminds us that
• the OT prophets are reliable, and we can rely on what the scriptures record for us. But then Peter goes on to remind us in chapter 2 that
there are also false prophets out there. Peter is giving us a reminder of what we already know - we need to reject false teachers! And to do that, we need to identify them!
Now we go on to chapter 3. And Peter gives us encouragement to hold on to hope - to not give up what we believe in because of criticism we may get - but to keep looking for the return of Christ. Here’s what He has to say. Read 3:1-13 Pray
Peter starts this chapter off like he does chapter 1. Both have the idea of remembering. And both have the idea of understanding what is really important. What does Peter want us to remember? Peter wants us to remember the Lord’s timing! What does that mean? Peter warns us that we will face scoffers in life - people who want to mock us and make fun of us and try to destroy our faith. He writes here in verse 4 - They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But Peter says these people are not seeking information, simply asking WHEN Jesus will return. No, these are scoffers - people who disbelieve - people who reject the scriptures as true - they say “Jesus is NOT coming back to the earth!
What does that matter? There are a lot of Christians who say, It’s not a big issue - I still believe the bible whether Jesus is returning or not - I’ll still go to heaven when I die. But it IS a big issue. The return of Christ to the earth is a FOUNDATION of our faith! The scoffers don’t want to admit it as truth, because if Jesus IS returning, then they know they will have to stand before Him and give an account of their lives. The return of Christ is just like Creation - which these scoffers also mock - You don’t mean you don’t believe in evolution do you! You mean that everything just happened in a second! But the truth is that we DO believe in creation. That also is a BIG matter for our faith. And if you want some bolstering of your faith in the issue of creation we have some great videos by Ken Ham out in the north room that will give you ammunition to use to refute these scoffers. You see, if we can’t believe in Jesus when He said He would return for us, then how can we believe in Jesus when He says He is providing forgiveness or when He talks about Heaven and Hell. The return of Christ IS a big deal!
The scoffers say Jesus isn’t returning! Everything is the same as it always was! But Peter says they are not truthful - they don’t want to look at the facts. He says But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. Peter wants to reassure us that we don’t need to let our faith be shaken by these “intellectuals.” Peter says they are ignoring the facts. They ignore the truth of creation. As I said, Creation is a foundation of our faith. If we can’t believe what God says about the creation of the world, then how can we believe Him about anything else.
Peter reminds us about creation - Genesis 1 tells us God created the heavens and the earth - and then God separated the waters with waters above and waters beneath - and God caused the dry land to form. How can we believe in the return of Christ? Because we remember that things do not always go on the same way! God broke into time and space and created the world.
Peter goes on with another proof. Speaking of those waters of creation, God used those waters to break into the affairs of men once again to bring judgment for sin in the flood. Vs 6 - By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. These same scoffers will say, You don’t REALLY believe the whole world was flooded except for a man who built a boat, do you! And he put all the animals of the earth on this boat! HA! But the answer to that is YES, I DO! And once again, we don’t have to let our faith be shaken.
Genesis 7 tells us all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than twenty feet. So, yes, this WAS a worldwide flood. There is no way the highest mountain on the earth could be under 40 feet of water and it only be a local flood! Peter said this also is a proof in the reliability of God- it is a reminder that we can trust the He WILL come back for us, just as He said. And once again, we have some wonderful videos in the north room that talk in detail about the flood, giving you scientific information to reinforce your faith.
Peter gives a third reminder for us - that once again in the future the world will again be destroyed in judgment. But the next time it will not be by a flood of water, but by fire. Vs 7 - By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
So, when scoffers try to get you to lose your faith and doubt the truthfulness of God’s word, answer back. They say things are the same as ever - but we answer back, No, things change - it happened in creation - it happened in the flood - and it will happen when the world faces destruction by fire. Now the thing we need to remember first and foremost in looking for the return of Christ is this: God is not on our timetable.
There are all kinds of people making predictions in the name of Christ. Back in 1982, Pat Robertson came out and said that God was going to return by the end of the year - but it didn’t happen. More recently, just last year a radio preacher named Harold Camping came out and said the Rapture would take place on May 21, 2011 and that the end of the world would subsequently take place five months later on October 21, 2011. Once again, it didn’t happen.
So it’s no wonder that there are scoffers out there who want to make fun of us for what we believe. Peter reminds us With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. Sadly, many Christians look at this as a mathematical formula - as if they can multiply 1,000 times every day to come up with how many thousand years until Christ returns.
A story is told about a man who was talking with the Lord and said, “Lord, is it true that with You, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day?” And the Lord said, “Yes, that’s true.” “Does that mean that a penny to you is like a million dollars and a million dollars like a penny?” And the Lord said, “Yes, a million dollars to you is like a penny to me.” The man said, “Well, Lord, since a million dollars to you is like a penny to me, could I have a penny?” And the Lord said, “Yes… in a minute.”
Instead of looking at this as a mathematical formula, what Peter is telling us is that God is not on OUR timetable. We so often want to tell God what to do and when to do it. But God has perfect timing. It’s like the saying, God is never late; He’s never early; He’s always right on time!
That’s what Peter wants us to remember. He says, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. When God doesn’t work the way we expect, we want to blame God for messing up. But the truth is that God is NOT slow - He is not on the wrong timetable - but He PURPOSEFULLY is waiting for more people to repent and be saved. Because God wants EVERYONE to be saved. Will they? No. But God wants to give every possible chance for people to repent.
Some Christians almost gloat about the fact of people going to hell. They’ll get their’s someday! But anyone who says this shows that they do NOT have the heart of God - because God does not want anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance. We need to have hearts of compassion for the unsaved.
So, in Peter’s day, many pagans became Christians and had the hope of Christ returning for them. But then their society persecuted them, putting many of them to death. It would be easy for them to question God and even lose their faith, thinking if God really loved them why didn’t he come back for them. Peter reminds us that Jesus WILL come again, but it is not on our timing, but His. And when Jesus returns in judgment, it will be a terrible day for the earth! As Christians, we look forward to the day when we will be “caught up” in the clouds to be with the Lord forever - it is an event we call the “rapture.” But for unbelievers left behind, they will face a day of great judgement. Throughout the bible it is called the Day of the Lord. But that day will not be a happy day. Amos 5 says, Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be a dreadful day, as God pours out his wrath on an unbelieving generation. And Peter tells us it will come suddenly and unexpectedly.
Vs 10 - But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. What does this mean? Basically our earth and sky will be destroyed by fire. The literal wording here makes it sound almost like a nuclear explosion. But the earth is destroyed so we can enjoy a new world. Vs 13 says, But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
This is the message John writes about in Revelation 21 - Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
The day of the Lord will be a day of great destruction and judgment - but it is a day that makes it possible to enjoy the presence of our God forever.
Why does Peter tell us all this? His answer, and his main point lies in verse 11 - Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. What does the return of Christ mean for us? It means we want to always be ready to stand before God and give an account to him. In Matthew 24, as Jesus is describing these end time events, he gives three stories for us. First is the story of a servant whose master went away; the servant was wicked and disregarded his master’s return, and paid a terrible penalty for his foolishness. Then Jesus goes on to tell a story about 10 virgins at a bridal party; but they were not watching for the arrival of the groom, and they also paid the consequences. Then the third story - the story of the talents - a master goes away leaving his servants money to invest - two reap interest, but one foolish servant does nothing to prepare for his master’s return. All three parables point to the same message: we need to live like Jesus is coming back for us.
While on an expedition to the Antarctic, explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his 27 men encountered nightmarish conditions. Temperatures were as low as 100 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Their ship, the Endurance, was caught in pack ice for ten months. Shackleton had to leave most of his men on Elephant Island to go for help.
After sailing a lifeboat through a storm, Shackleton finally reached a whaling station. Three times he tried to rescue his crew, but bad weather turned him back. Finally, ten months after he had left them, he found a narrow channel through the ice. When he finally got to Elephant Island, he was amazed to find his men not only alive and well, but all prepared to get aboard his ship. Later Sir Ernest asked how they were ready to leave so promptly the day he arrived. They told him that every morning their leader rolled up his sleeping bag, saying, “Get your things ready, boys, the boss may come today.” That action not only got them ready to leave; it also infused them with a daily dose of hope.
We need that same type of hope: to get up every morning and say, I need to be ready, because the Lord may come back today! Today, I will end with three questions:
First, are you ready to meet the Lord? If Jesus came back today, would you be ready to give an account. If the rapture took place and all the Christians were taken out of the world, leaving only the unbelievers to face the wrath and judgment of God, would you be left behind?
Second, are you looking for God’s return? Even if you’re ready to meet the Lord, we need to live with expectancy that maybe He will come back for us today. And a third question, if you really believe this is true, if you really believe Jesus is returning just as He said: Who will you tell about this? This is good news - this is the gospel - that Christ died for our sins, rose and ascended to heaven where He is preparing a place for us, and that one day soon He is returning for us. If you believe this, will you seek this week to tell at least ONE other person. Don’t try to knock on 50 doors or evangelize your whole neighborhood - start with ONE person that you could share your faith with.
Let’s pray.
