2 Peter 3:9-13 “…looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…”
INTRODUCTION
A. Congregational Feedback: “I Can’t Wait For Christ’s Return Because__________”
B. “Hastening The Coming” – Very Odd!
1. How can we “hastening His coming”?
2. Isn’t that day fixed in time by God already – unchangeable?
3. Can I really move that date up in history & make it happen earlier?
C. Word Study On “Hastening”
1. Greek word = Óðåõäù or “Speudo”
2. Used in other places of the bible
Acts 20:16 “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem…”
Luke 2:16 “And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.”
Luke 19:5-6 “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.”
3. “Hastening” = to do something with haste or speed / speed something up
a. again the question – “Can I speed up or hurry up God’s return?”
b. how?
c. I want to offer two answers
I. ANSWER #1 - YOU CAN SEEM TO HASTEN IT
A. Have You Ever Boiled Water? - Watched Pot Never Boils / Popcorn Never Pops
B. Hurry It Up By Not Obsessing With It – But Engaging In Other Important Things
1. Sitting around saying “Come quickly Lord Jesus” – seems like an eternity
a. but engage in life, engage yourself in God’s work
b. before you know it, He comes
2. Same concept
a. at work – will the workday never end?
b. on vacation – miserable vs. great vacation
c. raising your children
d. marriage
3. How soon the end “seems” to come depends on your level of involvement and enjoyment in life.
II. ANSWER #2 – YOU CAN ACTUALLY HASTEN IT
A. Challenge An Assumption I’ve Grown Up With In My Mind: Isn’t The Date For Christ’s Second Coming Set & Fixed & Scheduled By God – Unknown To Anyone?
Answer #1 = Yes a time unknown to anyone
Answer #2 = Not necessarily a “fixed and pre-set” time in the future
Mathew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
Matthew 13:32-37 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning-- 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"
Zechariah 14:7 “It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD-- Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.
God “knows” the day, but it doesn’t say He “pre-scheduled” the day
While God, in His omniscience & foresight (like our hindsight) knows the day & hour, but that doesn’t mean He has necessarily “fixed” or “scheduled” a particular day yet!
B. Based On This & Some Scripture – Astounding – We Can Hurry Up Christ’s Return
1. He won’t come until we complete our job in spreading Gospel
Matthew 24:14 “ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Mark 13:10 “And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”
2. He won’t come until we pull out the stops, sacrifice & put it all on the line
Revelation 6:9-11 “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
3. If We’re In No Hurry, God Is In No Hurry
2 Peter 3:9-12 “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 … 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”
a. sitting around praying “Thy Kingdom come…thy will be done” & just wishing it would come – won’t get it done
b. what gets it done? – Get busy in your mission field
c. wishing it to come won’t make it happen sooner – only delays it
d. we must make it happen – we can and must hasten that day!
e. it can happen in our generation – if our generation serious
4. Paul Actually Believed Christ Would Come In His Generation
a. read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 – our generation
- almost a letter of correction - as if they had previously believed non would die before Christ’s return
- but definitely “we…” (okay, our generation)
b. then scanning 2 Thessalonians – no mention of “we or us”
- Christ had not come
- is it that Christ didn’t want to come? NO
- is it that Paul was wrong? I Doubt It
- could it be that church hadn’t done its work?
- only thing mentioned in 2 Thes – persecution
c. Paul said it could have happened & it could have
- but church lazy – someone else will do it
- coming delayed
- now an antichrist – persecution must come
- church grows through fire
5. “Looking for” means not just “desiring” but earnestly desiring
a. ambitiously desiring
b. taking deliberate & bold action to get something you desire
D. Greek Word “Speudo” or “Hastening” Adapted By A 21st Century Corporation
The company was originally founded in 1914 by hosiery manufacturer Alexander MacRae as MacRae Knitting Mills in an effort to expand his company into swimwear. In 1928 MacRae Knitting Mills adopted a corporate name after it developed its racer design of swimwear making first manufacturers to specifically produce athletic designs. During World War II the manufacturer shifted nearly all of its production to war materials such as mosquito nets for the troops. This company resumed production of competition swimwear after the war In 1955 this company introduced nylon into its fabric for competitive swimwear. The 1956 Olympics in Melbourne saw the widespread debut of the new fabric and the introduction of the style of men’s briefs that has become associated with the brand. The company quickly expanded into the international arena from there until the present, boasting that 70 percent of swimming medals were won by athletes wearing its products in the Olympic Games of 1968, 1972, and 1976. The name of the company that adopted the greek word “Speudo” or “hastening”? = Speedo!
1. “Hastening” the coming -- Olympic Swimmer – Strip To The Bare Basics
a. Hebrews 12:1 “..seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that set before us”
b. it’s all about souls
c. that’s our essential mission
2. Like Olympic Swimmer – strip off anything that hinders or encumbers
3. Like Olympic Swimmer – cut through the resistance – devil will resist
INVITATION
