Series: Live Well [#17]
LIVE IN THE END DAYS
2 Peter 3:1-18
Introduction:
As a father, I have learned how to repeat myself. When I was trying to teach 1 of my children a lesson, I had to teach it to them several times and remind them of it often. In the last chapter of Peter’s 2nd letter, he states that he has written these 2 letters to remind them of God’s truths that should be evident in their lives. Peter uses this last chapter to remind us that this Earth will not last forever- The Day of the Lord will come. What are the signs of Jesus coming again? Do you live your life as if Jesus could come back at any time because He will come when we least expect it. As the Bible says several times, Jesus will come like a thief in the night.
2 Peter 3:1-7
God’s…
1. Plan.
A question that has been asked over and over again by Christians is, “When is Jesus coming back?” Even the Apostles asked Jesus this question. Although we need to be careful not to set dates and realize that only God knows when Christ is to return; obviously it is all right for us to ask these types of questions, because when the Apostles asked Jesus these questions He did not get upset with them. In Matthew 24, Christ gave us some signs that are to alert us to the fact that Christ is coming soon. Also realize that Jesus rebuked the people of His day for not recognizing “the sign of the time” that brought His first coming.
There have been several things happen in the last 100 years that would indicate “the signs of the time”. The 1st thing noticeable is our increase in travel and knowledge. Since 1924, when the average speed of cars and trucks was 30 to 40 miles per hour, until today, when rockets and satellites average 24,000 miles per hour, man has had an explosion in knowledge. The 2 go “hand in hand” and Daniel 12:4 tells us this is 1 of the signs of the end.
As we study end-times theology, we must be careful in how we study it. Should we study this literally or figuratively? Jesus helps us out. In Matthew 24, the Disciples were admiring the Temple buildings and Jesus prophesied that not only would the Temple be destroyed; but that not even 1 stone would be left upon another stone. History tells us that in 70 A.D. the Roman Army destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. Not only was the Temple destroyed, but the soldiers had noticed that large amounts of gold had melted and flowed into the crevices of the blocks of the temple during a fire that swept through. In order to get the gold, the Romans had to take the building apart stone by stone.
When you are getting sick the doctor finds out what is wrong by the symptoms you have. In Matthew 24 we find 2 signs that are more like symptoms.
The sign of…
* Deception.
There has always been deception and false teaching out there, but look at it today. A new cult or group springs up in our Nation almost every week. The spiritual deception will continue to get worse and worse.
The sign of…
* Wars and rumors of wars.
There have been around 15,000 recorded wars in human history. Jesus said this was going to happen, but not to be alarmed because, “Such things must happen, but the end is still to come”. Jesus tells us that this is not the end but birth pains. If this is the case, has the birth pains began? Nations have risen up against Nation. There has been famine. There have been some catastrophic earthquakes over the last several years. It may be as Jesus says in verse 33, “Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.”
The sign of…
* Israel.
The Nation of Israel has been exiled, moved around like people separated, and yet God promises this nation that He will not forget them. In 1917 less than 25000 Jews lived in Palestine. In 1945 more than 500,000 Jews lived in Palestine and in 1948, Israel was again recognized as a nation. Today the population is over 5 million.
The sign of…
* Gentiles.
The time of the Gentiles began with the Babylonia captivity in 606 B.C. and will continue to the end of the Tribulation and the coming of Christ. Is this time coming near? In 1967 Israel took captivity of Jerusalem for the 1st time since the Babylonian captivity. The only thing missing is the great spiritual awakening of the Jews calling upon the Messiah they had rejected.
The sign of…
* The Generation.
Many biblical scholars believe that when the fig tree is used symbolically in Scripture, it usually is referring to Israel. If this is correct, Scholars say that when Israel became a nation in 1948, it became a full-grown tree capable of producing blooms, which means we are getting close. Jesus tells us, “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” The phrase, “this generation” is extremely important.
Which generation is it? There are 4 possibilities:
* The disciples’ generation.
Obviously, that’s not it.
* The generation that saw World War I.
That is close to impossible. You will have to be 105 years old.
* The generation that saw Israel became a nation in 1948.
* The generation that lived through the Six Day War of 1967.
That was when the Israel army took over part of Jerusalem. Understand it may be some future war when Israel will once again gain total control of Jerusalem. If it is the 1948 or 1967 generation, then the next question is, “how long is a generation?” The actual term “generation” can mean 20, 40, 70, 80, or 100 years. This simply means, we could be the last generation or we may not be.
What does this mean for us as Christians? Are we living our lives as Jesus could come back at any moment? If in fact, we are living in the last times then why are we not more urgent about winning the lost to Jesus Christ? We need to be urgent, because time is running out.
2 Peter 3:8-9
God’s…
2. Patience.
We really have no idea when Jesus is coming again and what seems to be a long time to us is nothing to God; but God is not waiting in order to be difficult, He has a purpose for waiting. God is waiting as long as He can so that all that will be saved will do so. God is all-knowing and He knows who that last person will be. Verse 9 is proof to us that God wants everyone to be saved. When He sent Jesus to this earth to pay the price of sin for us on a cross, He did that for all people. This is also a time in Scripture that we find that God does not always get what He wants. God wants all people to be saved but that will not happen because many will refuse God’s gift of salvation.
2 Peter 3:10-13
God’s…
3. Promise.
The end of this World as we know it will happen and catch many by surprise. God promises us that Jesus will come again. He also promises that this Earth will be destroyed and that there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth. He promises that those that know Jesus Christ as Savior will have eternal life in Heaven with Him and those that refuse Jesus Christ as Savior will have eternal death in Hell separated from God. God has always fulfilled His promises and in His time, He will fulfill His promise of ending the life of this earth. It is not a matter of if but when.
2 Peter 3:14-18
God’s…
4. Petition.
God’s request of His children is that we live our lives like Jesus is coming back today. We must give each day to Christ, use the Bible as our guide, stay in communication with the Father, and be on guard against Satan and his attacks. Are you ready?
