WEBVTT 00:00:03.640 --> 00:00:06.160 Once again this evening, I'd like to ask you 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:08.339 to open your Bible if you brought it with you, 00:00:08.339 --> 00:00:12.060 and I hope you did, to the book of 2 Peter in 00:00:12.060 --> 00:00:15.560 the New Testament. Tonight we conclude our study 00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:19.820 in this epistle and I'll begin reading in chapter 00:00:19.820 --> 00:00:24.320 3 verse 10. But the day of the Lord will come 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:28.500 like a thief in which the heavens will pass away 00:00:28.500 --> 00:00:31.519 with a roar and the elements will be destroyed 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:34.759 with intense heat. and the earth and its works 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:38.299 will be burned up. Since all these things are 00:00:38.299 --> 00:00:42.039 to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people 00:00:42.039 --> 00:00:46.140 ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:49.659 looking for and hastening the coming of the day 00:00:49.659 --> 00:00:53.380 of God, on account of which the heavens will 00:00:53.380 --> 00:00:56.479 be destroyed by burning and the elements will 00:00:56.479 --> 00:01:00.420 melt with intense heat? But according to His 00:01:00.420 --> 00:01:04.390 promise, We are looking for a new heavens and 00:01:04.390 --> 00:01:09.290 a new earth in which righteousness dwells Therefore 00:01:09.290 --> 00:01:12.129 beloved since you look for these things be diligent 00:01:12.129 --> 00:01:17.549 to be found by him in peace spotless and blameless 00:01:17.549 --> 00:01:21.209 and Regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation 00:01:21.209 --> 00:01:24.650 Just as also our beloved brother Paul according 00:01:24.650 --> 00:01:29.049 to the wisdom given him wrote to you as also 00:01:29.049 --> 00:01:32.599 in all his letters speaking in them of these 00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:36.700 things, in which are some things hard to understand, 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:42.019 which the untaught and unstable distort, as they 00:01:42.019 --> 00:01:44.840 do also the rest of the scriptures to their own 00:01:44.840 --> 00:01:48.299 destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing 00:01:48.299 --> 00:01:51.680 this beforehand, be on your guard, lest, being 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:55.239 carried away by the error of unprincipled men, 00:01:56.099 --> 00:02:00.109 you fall from your own steadfastness. but grow 00:02:00.109 --> 00:02:02.590 in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior 00:02:02.590 --> 00:02:06.530 Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and 00:02:06.530 --> 00:02:11.789 to the day of eternity. Amen. Peter was a man 00:02:11.789 --> 00:02:18.090 of deep, deep passion. His passion in this letter, 00:02:18.930 --> 00:02:24.409 as we have unfolded it, is that we grow as believers. 00:02:24.889 --> 00:02:28.349 that we grow in Jesus Christ, that is, that we 00:02:28.349 --> 00:02:32.129 become more Christ -like, following the pattern 00:02:32.129 --> 00:02:35.590 which he laid out for us in chapter 1, verses 00:02:35.590 --> 00:02:43.370 5 through 7. As Peter loved the Lord Jesus, so 00:02:43.370 --> 00:02:47.289 he also loved the Lord's people. You will note 00:02:47.289 --> 00:02:51.389 in this chapter four times he addresses us, his 00:02:51.389 --> 00:02:56.400 readers, as beloved. Verse 1, again in verse 00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:02.280 8, verse 14, and verse 17. Beloved, he says, 00:03:02.379 --> 00:03:07.080 a man of deep passion. And he addressed his remarks 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:10.960 regarding Paul, the apostle, with this preface, 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:15.539 our beloved brother Paul. Now you think back 00:03:15.539 --> 00:03:18.580 about all of the contact between Peter and Paul. 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:21.080 And you know, this is a rather remarkable statement 00:03:21.080 --> 00:03:24.719 because they didn't always see eye to eye. And 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:27.979 indeed, Paul corrected Peter, who was in the 00:03:27.979 --> 00:03:31.840 Lord before him. And yet, Peter has accepted 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:36.240 that, obviously, and deeply loves the Apostle 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:41.699 Paul. A motive for the discipline that it takes 00:03:41.699 --> 00:03:46.199 to grow in Jesus Christ is the knowledge that 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:52.900 it matters that we do. It matters that we do 00:03:52.900 --> 00:03:56.979 grow in the grace and in the knowledge of the 00:03:56.979 --> 00:04:01.020 Lord Jesus Christ. It matters to us. Life is 00:04:01.020 --> 00:04:04.180 different when you and I discipline ourselves 00:04:04.180 --> 00:04:09.240 to grow. And furthermore, eternity is different. 00:04:11.539 --> 00:04:15.289 It matters to the Lord that you and I grow. Indeed, 00:04:15.289 --> 00:04:18.410 Peter lays out before us in this book the fact 00:04:18.410 --> 00:04:22.009 that God has already appointed a time on His 00:04:22.009 --> 00:04:25.089 calendar when there is going to be an accounting 00:04:25.089 --> 00:04:31.389 of all people. All people. For the believer too. 00:04:32.529 --> 00:04:35.209 We who are believers in Jesus Christ will be 00:04:35.209 --> 00:04:38.129 called to give account of our lives at the Bema 00:04:38.129 --> 00:04:42.769 Seat, judgment it's called. And based upon the 00:04:42.769 --> 00:04:45.810 result of that judgment, we will then enter into 00:04:45.810 --> 00:04:49.329 the Kingdom of our Lord with certain responsibilities. 00:04:50.930 --> 00:04:54.389 And the Word of God seems to indicate that we 00:04:54.389 --> 00:04:57.949 can have responsibilities or we can have those 00:04:57.949 --> 00:05:02.170 responsibilities taken away from us if in fact 00:05:02.170 --> 00:05:05.129 we haven't been diligent and faithful in this 00:05:05.129 --> 00:05:10.189 life. So it matters that we grow in Christ. But 00:05:10.189 --> 00:05:12.850 those who are outside of Jesus Christ likewise 00:05:12.850 --> 00:05:17.329 face an appointment of judgment with God. It 00:05:17.329 --> 00:05:21.430 is a final judgment and it is one that involves 00:05:21.430 --> 00:05:26.470 eternal punishment and ruin. He is mentioned 00:05:26.470 --> 00:05:29.029 already in this book but look in chapter 3 verse 00:05:29.029 --> 00:05:33.350 7 where again he says the fire is kept for the 00:05:33.350 --> 00:05:38.129 day of judgment and destruction. The word doesn't 00:05:38.129 --> 00:05:41.189 mean annihilation but it means eternal loss. 00:05:41.949 --> 00:05:45.730 the eternal loss of ungodly men. Who are ungodly 00:05:45.730 --> 00:05:50.189 men? Well, those are people who live without 00:05:50.189 --> 00:05:56.089 God. God may be in their vocabulary, in a good 00:05:56.089 --> 00:06:00.069 way or a bad way, but even if it's in a good 00:06:00.069 --> 00:06:03.189 way, if there's not a personal relationship with 00:06:03.189 --> 00:06:07.370 God, if it's not a personal faith in God, then 00:06:07.370 --> 00:06:11.189 they're ungodly. It means to live life without 00:06:11.189 --> 00:06:16.269 God in the focus, in the center of it. And he 00:06:16.269 --> 00:06:19.790 says those who choose to live that way face judgment 00:06:19.790 --> 00:06:24.470 from God. Today it's becoming popular to think 00:06:24.470 --> 00:06:28.829 of life as an unending cycle of reincarnations. 00:06:30.529 --> 00:06:34.709 But life is not that. Neither is life a brief 00:06:34.709 --> 00:06:37.209 senseless day in which to live as one wishes 00:06:37.209 --> 00:06:39.589 as though we were only evolved animals of some 00:06:39.589 --> 00:06:45.970 sort We are created as human beings in the image 00:06:45.970 --> 00:06:49.769 of God and as such life has purpose and Life 00:06:49.769 --> 00:06:54.449 has a destiny Life has a goal toward which it 00:06:54.449 --> 00:07:01.829 moves with every tick of the clock The universe 00:07:01.829 --> 00:07:07.680 is not eternal either. Like us, the universe 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:11.939 itself had a beginning, and the universe has 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:14.699 an ending, at least the universe as we know it 00:07:14.699 --> 00:07:18.339 today. We talked last Sunday night about this 00:07:18.339 --> 00:07:21.519 phrase, the day of the Lord, and the fact that 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:24.319 it embraces two different streams of thought 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:28.600 under its canopy. One is the thought of judgment 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:32.649 from God upon the ungodly. The other is blessing 00:07:32.649 --> 00:07:37.870 from God upon the believers. The Day of the Lord 00:07:37.870 --> 00:07:41.829 is not just one 24 -hour period. It's a lengthy 00:07:41.829 --> 00:07:45.389 period of time in which God will both judge those 00:07:45.389 --> 00:07:49.649 who are ungodly and will bless those who are 00:07:49.649 --> 00:07:53.430 His own. The Day of the Lord involves the coming 00:07:53.430 --> 00:07:57.350 reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then when 00:07:57.350 --> 00:08:02.959 the Day of the Lord is finished, with a final 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:08.019 judgment from God. It ushers in what is called 00:08:08.019 --> 00:08:10.600 in this text, and I think only in this text, 00:08:10.660 --> 00:08:15.459 in all of the Bible, the day of God, which is 00:08:15.459 --> 00:08:19.939 different than the day of the Lord. After the 00:08:19.939 --> 00:08:23.019 kingdom reign of Jesus Christ, when He will reign 00:08:23.019 --> 00:08:27.279 upon this earth, And believe me, His reign in 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:30.980 the future is as sure as His birth in Bethlehem 00:08:30.980 --> 00:08:34.100 that we just sung about a few moments ago. He 00:08:34.100 --> 00:08:37.019 is going to come and reign upon the earth. But 00:08:37.019 --> 00:08:40.039 it's for a limited time. It's for a thousand 00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:42.539 years. And when that thousand years is completed, 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:45.779 the scriptures indicate there is one final time 00:08:45.779 --> 00:08:48.860 of judgment when God will deal thoroughly with 00:08:48.860 --> 00:08:51.820 all wickedness and will put it away forever. 00:08:54.180 --> 00:09:00.259 And then, God is going to bring to an end the 00:09:00.259 --> 00:09:03.600 universe as we know it. And we'll start over 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:07.820 again with a new heaven and a new earth, which 00:09:07.820 --> 00:09:13.779 He talks about in verse 13. The day of God is 00:09:13.779 --> 00:09:17.100 that new heaven and new earth in the future. 00:09:17.799 --> 00:09:23.529 It is the resumption of a timeless state or a 00:09:23.529 --> 00:09:26.149 state when there is unending time, however you 00:09:26.149 --> 00:09:31.049 may define eternity. But it's after the world 00:09:31.049 --> 00:09:37.330 order as we know it now has been concluded. This 00:09:37.330 --> 00:09:39.750 morning I talked a little bit about George Bush's 00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:43.490 idea of a new world order. Whatever he has in 00:09:43.490 --> 00:09:45.649 mind by that, believe me, it is nothing compared 00:09:45.649 --> 00:09:49.330 to what God has in mind. Because God is going 00:09:49.330 --> 00:09:53.909 to start all over again. with a brand new earth 00:09:53.909 --> 00:09:57.549 and a brand new heavens and that will truly be 00:09:57.549 --> 00:10:01.669 a new order and that is what the day of God is. 00:10:02.870 --> 00:10:07.330 Now the day of the Lord He describes in verse 00:10:07.330 --> 00:10:11.590 10 as coming like a thief which is a phrase meaning 00:10:11.590 --> 00:10:15.070 it will come unexpectedly upon those who are 00:10:15.070 --> 00:10:18.690 not looking for it. They will not be watching 00:10:18.690 --> 00:10:21.610 for it. They will not be alert to it. and therefore 00:10:21.610 --> 00:10:24.710 they will fail to anticipate it and suddenly 00:10:24.710 --> 00:10:28.990 it will come upon them. And he says this day 00:10:28.990 --> 00:10:31.669 of the Lord, and again it's a long period of 00:10:31.669 --> 00:10:35.250 time, embracing initial judgment, then this thousand 00:10:35.250 --> 00:10:38.409 year reign of Christ, and then a final spurt 00:10:38.409 --> 00:10:42.509 of judgment, final judgment. The day of the Lord 00:10:42.509 --> 00:10:45.629 then will conclude with the destruction of the 00:10:45.629 --> 00:10:48.350 present heavens and earths. And that's what he 00:10:48.350 --> 00:10:52.950 describes for us. in these verses. In verse 10 00:10:52.950 --> 00:10:58.210 he says, the heavens will pass away with a roar. 00:11:00.250 --> 00:11:06.090 Interesting word. It means with a hiss, with 00:11:06.090 --> 00:11:09.549 the crackling sound as the sound of a roaring 00:11:09.549 --> 00:11:13.750 fire in your fireplace when it's just going brightly 00:11:13.750 --> 00:11:16.980 and it's cracking and popping. It's with that 00:11:16.980 --> 00:11:19.899 kind of a sound, he says, that the heavens are 00:11:19.899 --> 00:11:22.659 going to simply pass away and be no more at all. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:26.139 Or for those of you who are hunters and you go 00:11:26.139 --> 00:11:29.539 out looking for quail and you're walking through 00:11:29.539 --> 00:11:33.620 that brush and the grass and suddenly that covey 00:11:33.620 --> 00:11:35.820 of quail comes up in front of you and scares 00:11:35.820 --> 00:11:38.659 you half into a heart attack. It's that sound, 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:41.980 the rushing of the wings of those birds. That's 00:11:41.980 --> 00:11:45.620 the sound, he says, that will be present when 00:11:45.789 --> 00:11:50.909 the present order passes away. He says it involves 00:11:50.909 --> 00:11:55.750 the elements being destroyed with intense heat. 00:11:56.970 --> 00:12:00.169 The word elements here means the very basic things 00:12:00.169 --> 00:12:05.330 of the universe. It could mean the air, fire, 00:12:05.809 --> 00:12:11.309 water, earth, or it could refer to the basic 00:12:11.309 --> 00:12:16.200 atomic structure of the universe. which we now 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:18.779 know about, which of course Peter didn't know 00:12:18.779 --> 00:12:21.240 about 2000 years ago. We understand something 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:24.200 at least of the basic structure of all the elements 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:28.480 in the world and the whole universe. And he says 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:32.580 that there is going to be a destruction, a breakdown, 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:36.259 an atomic breakdown if you please, of the whole 00:12:36.259 --> 00:12:39.500 structure of the present order and he says it 00:12:39.500 --> 00:12:43.820 involves intense heat. Well, anything that we 00:12:43.820 --> 00:12:49.860 know about atomic bombs involves that kind of 00:12:49.860 --> 00:12:57.500 sound and power and heat. This word, intense 00:12:57.500 --> 00:13:00.340 heat, was used by medical doctors in the New 00:13:00.340 --> 00:13:04.440 Testament day to refer to a feverish heat arising 00:13:04.440 --> 00:13:07.200 from within the body of a person. Intense heat, 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:12.820 a fever. It can also be used of the conflagration 00:13:12.820 --> 00:13:16.320 that arises from the internal buildup of power 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:20.200 and heat in a volcano, such as erupted with Mount 00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:23.480 St. Helens some ten years ago, when the mountain 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:29.820 just blew its top and that tremendous cloud of 00:13:29.820 --> 00:13:34.720 gases burst forth from that mountain, incinerating 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:38.159 everything in its path, including human beings. 00:13:38.220 --> 00:13:41.639 That kind of intense heat is in view here. The 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:45.879 same thought. He says that it's all going to 00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:48.899 be destroyed and the works of the earth, he says, 00:13:49.059 --> 00:13:52.419 will be burned up. Interesting word because a 00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:55.659 better understanding of this word is that it 00:13:55.659 --> 00:14:01.019 will be exposed or found out. I think the NIV 00:14:01.019 --> 00:14:06.299 even translates it that way. It seems to mean 00:14:06.299 --> 00:14:12.480 that all of the works of man that are a part 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:16.179 of this whole present order of things. All of 00:14:16.179 --> 00:14:19.419 those works are going to be exposed and dealt 00:14:19.419 --> 00:14:25.860 with. Nothing, nothing will be left. He says 00:14:25.860 --> 00:14:29.840 in verse 12 that the heavens will be destroyed 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:34.659 by burning and the elements will melt with intense 00:14:34.659 --> 00:14:39.759 heat. That is, they will just melt into their 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:43.179 basics. The heavens and the earth, well let me 00:14:43.179 --> 00:14:45.399 just read verse 12 for you in the original. It 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:49.200 says, the heavens being set on fire will be dissolved 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:54.580 and the elements burning will melt. That's what 00:14:54.580 --> 00:14:57.840 it says. And all of that then will usher in what 00:14:57.840 --> 00:15:01.539 we've called here the day of God. He describes 00:15:01.539 --> 00:15:06.620 it in verse 13 as the new heavens and new earth. 00:15:06.779 --> 00:15:09.840 It does not mean new in time. though that will 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:13.039 be true, but it means new in quality. It's going 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:17.940 to be substantially different than the universes 00:15:17.940 --> 00:15:22.179 we know it now. And the basic difference is going 00:15:22.179 --> 00:15:25.320 to be in its moral quality, because he says, 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:29.240 in it will dwell righteousness. That is, righteousness 00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:32.679 will just settle down and be right at home in 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:37.019 that new order of the universe that God is going 00:15:37.019 --> 00:15:40.440 to create. There are many texts in Scripture 00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:45.200 that deal with this same theme. Isaiah 65, verse 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:52.379 17. Isaiah 66, verses 22 to 24. Revelation, chapter 00:15:52.379 --> 00:15:58.340 21, verses 1 and following. A new order of things 00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:01.279 characterized by righteousness. It will be entirely 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:07.220 free from the curse of Adam's sin. and the wickedness 00:16:07.220 --> 00:16:10.740 of mankind. Free from that, all of that will 00:16:10.740 --> 00:16:16.019 be gone and righteousness will be at home. Now 00:16:16.019 --> 00:16:19.720 what in the world are we to do in light of what 00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:23.879 we know is coming? Three times he says here, 00:16:23.980 --> 00:16:26.539 in essence, you're looking for this. Notice it, 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:30.019 verse 12. Verse 13, we are looking. Verse 14, 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:33.679 you look for these things. The word look there 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:39.230 means to to think towards it. Just like the boys 00:16:39.230 --> 00:16:42.590 and girls who are here tonight are probably looking 00:16:42.590 --> 00:16:46.169 forward to Christmas. I don't know why particularly. 00:16:47.049 --> 00:16:50.710 It may have something to do with presents. But 00:16:50.710 --> 00:16:52.830 they are looking forward to that. They're thinking 00:16:52.830 --> 00:16:57.070 about it. I've already had several lists revised 00:16:57.070 --> 00:17:02.230 each time. Why? Because they're looking forward. 00:17:02.230 --> 00:17:05.089 They're thinking toward Christmas. Peter says, 00:17:05.309 --> 00:17:09.789 now you are thinking, your mind is set toward 00:17:09.789 --> 00:17:12.589 this new order that God is going to bring to 00:17:12.589 --> 00:17:15.369 pass. After all that we know now is gone, it 00:17:15.369 --> 00:17:19.849 is no more. Now what kind of people ought we 00:17:19.849 --> 00:17:23.029 to be? What ought we to do in light of this? 00:17:23.190 --> 00:17:26.309 And he tells us, he tells us in the first place 00:17:26.309 --> 00:17:31.809 we are to be diligent. Verse 14, be diligent. 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:36.740 The thought is here to do your best, to take 00:17:36.740 --> 00:17:42.640 care, to give it everything you've got to do 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:46.359 two things. Number one, to live right. And he 00:17:46.359 --> 00:17:50.599 describes that in verse 14. To be found by Him, 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:55.720 by Christ when He comes in peace. In other words, 00:17:55.740 --> 00:18:00.359 as I look at myself and my circumstances, to 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:05.000 be living at peace. Not upset, not anxious, not 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:08.160 fearful in light of what's coming, to be at peace. 00:18:09.180 --> 00:18:13.319 He says also to be spotless. That is, as God 00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:16.700 sees me inwardly, to be free from heart problems. 00:18:17.900 --> 00:18:21.339 Not of the muscle in my chest, but the moral 00:18:21.339 --> 00:18:26.200 attitudes in my life. Be spotless when it comes 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:30.359 to the temptation to filthiness, which is so 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:33.960 prominent in our world. what we see, what we 00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:37.400 participate in. He says, live spotless, be free 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:43.640 from that. Be spotless of bitterness. Be spotless 00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:46.000 when it comes to covetousness, the attitude of 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:50.400 greed, of hanging on. Be spotless from worldliness. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:55.079 As God sees me, he says, be diligent to be found 00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:59.619 inwardly without any spot. And then he says also, 00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:02.720 to be blameless. To be found by him to be blameless. 00:19:02.759 --> 00:19:06.900 That is, as others see me, at least outwardly, 00:19:07.299 --> 00:19:10.579 that there is no just accusation for blame against 00:19:10.579 --> 00:19:14.440 me. He says, in light of what you're expecting, 00:19:14.980 --> 00:19:17.819 live so that no one can point a finger and say, 00:19:17.900 --> 00:19:23.460 yeah, look what you did. Now there are sometimes 00:19:23.460 --> 00:19:27.089 people who will do that anyway. But the point 00:19:27.089 --> 00:19:29.549 is, don't live so as to give them a reason for 00:19:29.549 --> 00:19:32.450 doing it. If they must point their finger, let 00:19:32.450 --> 00:19:36.650 them do it as liars, not pointing to the truth. 00:19:37.950 --> 00:19:41.329 Be diligent, he says, to live right. In verses 00:19:41.329 --> 00:19:44.390 15 and 16, he says, be diligent to think right. 00:19:45.269 --> 00:19:48.930 To think right. About what? Well, he says in 00:19:48.930 --> 00:19:54.019 the first place about the Lord's patience. You 00:19:54.019 --> 00:19:58.599 may say, Lord, come on, hasten it. Lord, return, 00:19:58.700 --> 00:20:05.720 come. But He says, God is patient. And you understand 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:07.839 that His patience, you think right about His 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:11.140 patience, understand that His patience in returning 00:20:11.140 --> 00:20:15.599 means salvation. There are some people who need 00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:18.279 to trust Christ yet and be saved from the judgment 00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:21.440 to come. And they haven't done that yet. So you 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:24.740 be patient like God's patient. And understand 00:20:24.740 --> 00:20:26.920 there are still people who need to come to faith 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:30.559 in Jesus Christ. And obviously by application 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:34.980 in your patience, get the word out. Be telling 00:20:34.980 --> 00:20:37.680 people, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:42.220 with them. We're to be diligent to think right 00:20:42.220 --> 00:20:44.579 about the Lord's patience. We're to be diligent 00:20:44.579 --> 00:20:48.079 to think right according to the Lord's pattern. 00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:52.240 The Lord's pattern. I see that here in his words 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:55.259 regarding Paul. You and I are to think like the 00:20:55.259 --> 00:21:00.119 Word of God tells us to think. Notice he talks 00:21:00.119 --> 00:21:04.420 about Paul who has written several letters as 00:21:04.420 --> 00:21:09.359 he puts it here. He equates Paul's writings with 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:12.319 the rest of scripture. Do you notice that? Here 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:15.799 is one internal evidence of the inspiration of 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:20.190 the Bible. Here is Peter, an apostle. pointing 00:21:20.190 --> 00:21:23.289 to something that Paul has written and says it's 00:21:23.289 --> 00:21:26.730 just the same what he's written as all of the 00:21:26.730 --> 00:21:29.529 other scriptures, what Isaiah wrote and Jeremiah 00:21:29.529 --> 00:21:32.269 and Moses and all the other writers of scripture. 00:21:34.170 --> 00:21:37.309 An internal evidence of inspiration, very important 00:21:37.309 --> 00:21:43.069 to note that. And he refers to these writings 00:21:43.069 --> 00:21:50.069 of Paul for authority. conforming ourselves to 00:21:50.069 --> 00:21:52.410 what Paul has written, even though some things 00:21:52.410 --> 00:21:54.910 are hard to understand, and I think most of us 00:21:54.910 --> 00:22:00.109 would agree with that. But he says, frame your 00:22:00.109 --> 00:22:05.029 mind around the revelation of God. Think right. 00:22:07.230 --> 00:22:09.849 Boy, our world today tries to force us to think 00:22:09.849 --> 00:22:12.150 in an ungodly way. Just get God out of it. Put 00:22:12.150 --> 00:22:16.150 God over here in his place and think for yourself. 00:22:17.610 --> 00:22:20.369 The scripture says that we are to keep God in 00:22:20.369 --> 00:22:23.890 the center and we are to let the Bible frame 00:22:23.890 --> 00:22:29.849 our thought process to think right. He warns 00:22:29.849 --> 00:22:31.569 that there are some people who take scripture 00:22:31.569 --> 00:22:35.650 and distort it. The word means to twist it out 00:22:35.650 --> 00:22:40.589 of shape. There are some preachers and other 00:22:40.589 --> 00:22:43.049 religious leaders and theologians who are so 00:22:43.049 --> 00:22:45.210 capable of doing this, just taking the Bible 00:22:45.210 --> 00:22:49.839 and And suddenly they say it says something that's 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:54.160 not even there. Or what is there they say is 00:22:54.160 --> 00:22:58.740 not even said. He says beware of those kinds 00:22:58.740 --> 00:23:01.740 of people. He says these are people who are untaught. 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:05.220 It doesn't mean they're unschooled. It doesn't 00:23:05.220 --> 00:23:08.940 mean they haven't been to seminary. But it means 00:23:08.940 --> 00:23:13.539 that they have lacked the trained habit of reflection 00:23:13.539 --> 00:23:18.809 from the Spirit of God. They lack a discipline 00:23:18.809 --> 00:23:23.549 of good sense that comes from the Lord, the Spirit 00:23:23.549 --> 00:23:26.869 working in their minds. They're untaught by Him, 00:23:26.910 --> 00:23:31.869 in other words, and they're unstable. The thought 00:23:31.869 --> 00:23:35.250 is that they have no foundation. There's no fixedness 00:23:35.250 --> 00:23:41.630 to their lives. So think right. He says, be diligent 00:23:41.630 --> 00:23:46.029 to be found of Him, to be living right, to think 00:23:46.029 --> 00:23:49.819 right. And then he says, not only be diligent, 00:23:49.859 --> 00:23:52.759 but be on guard, verses 17 and 18. The military 00:23:52.759 --> 00:23:55.859 term, be on guard. If there's anything we've 00:23:55.859 --> 00:23:57.940 learned this last week from watching the stories 00:23:57.940 --> 00:24:01.019 about Pearl Harbor is that we were not on guard. 00:24:02.460 --> 00:24:08.180 We were sloppy. We were sloppy. Peter says, you 00:24:08.180 --> 00:24:11.579 be on guard for two things. Number one, be on 00:24:11.579 --> 00:24:17.289 guard not to fall. Not to fall. He says, even 00:24:17.289 --> 00:24:20.890 if you're steadfast, even if you have stability 00:24:20.890 --> 00:24:22.970 in your life, in contrast to these people I've 00:24:22.970 --> 00:24:25.750 just talked about, even though you have a foundation, 00:24:26.289 --> 00:24:33.049 be on guard, lest you be dislodged. It doesn't 00:24:33.049 --> 00:24:37.630 mean to lose your salvation, but it means that 00:24:37.630 --> 00:24:43.410 you be carried away by error from men who are 00:24:43.410 --> 00:24:47.900 lawless, who are unprincipled. Do not fall. Be 00:24:47.900 --> 00:24:50.900 on guard against that. We need to put up the 00:24:50.900 --> 00:24:54.599 walls in our lives. Be on guard against falling 00:24:54.599 --> 00:24:58.599 away after the false teaching of the kind of 00:24:58.599 --> 00:25:02.140 people He's described to us in this book. Then 00:25:02.140 --> 00:25:05.599 He says also be on guard to keep growing. He 00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:08.339 says keep growing in the grace of Jesus Christ. 00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:12.279 That is becoming like Him. Keep growing in the 00:25:12.279 --> 00:25:15.500 knowledge of Jesus Christ. coming to know Him 00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:19.180 more intimately. You know, the Christian life 00:25:19.180 --> 00:25:23.619 is something like riding a bicycle. If you stop, 00:25:24.579 --> 00:25:28.160 you fall over. You got to keep pedaling. You 00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:31.740 got to keep moving. And so Peter says, be on 00:25:31.740 --> 00:25:35.180 guard to keep on growing in Jesus Christ. Now 00:25:35.180 --> 00:25:37.680 why be so concerned about growing as Peter is 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:42.930 in this book? Because the one whom we can come 00:25:42.930 --> 00:25:46.430 to know and be like is the one who is preeminent 00:25:46.430 --> 00:25:48.750 over all." Peter concludes the book by saying, 00:25:49.009 --> 00:25:54.569 to him, Jesus Christ, be the glory. Now I want 00:25:54.569 --> 00:25:58.329 to tell you that meant something for a Jew because 00:25:58.329 --> 00:26:03.170 the glory to a Jew meant the Shekinah, that visible 00:26:03.170 --> 00:26:09.170 manifestation of God. The glory referred to God 00:26:09.170 --> 00:26:13.400 Himself, to His essence. Peter now uses that 00:26:13.400 --> 00:26:17.000 term and applies it to Jesus Christ. He says, 00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:21.299 all the glory be to Him both now and to the day 00:26:21.299 --> 00:26:25.099 of eternity. If you just draw the line under 00:26:25.099 --> 00:26:27.380 this whole book, there is one concern that we 00:26:27.380 --> 00:26:30.480 need to really focus on, just one issue. And 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:34.920 that is that whatever we do, that we bring glory 00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:40.019 to Jesus Christ. In my tonight, in my tomorrow, 00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:44.599 in my relationships, in my responsibilities, 00:26:45.059 --> 00:26:49.859 in life, to be concerned to bring glory to Jesus 00:26:49.859 --> 00:26:55.920 Christ because He alone is worthy. So that's 00:26:55.920 --> 00:26:58.460 the one issue to focus on, says Peter. Glory 00:26:58.460 --> 00:27:03.640 to God. Whatever you do, writes Paul, our beloved 00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:07.880 brother, whatever you do, do it to the glory 00:27:07.880 --> 00:27:12.119 of God. Let's determine to live that way and 00:27:12.119 --> 00:27:15.660 keep on growing and not to fall and to be diligent 00:27:15.660 --> 00:27:21.400 to be found by our Lord To be living right and 00:27:21.400 --> 00:27:26.140 thinking right in light of what we know to expect 00:27:26.140 --> 00:27:33.500 Let's pray together Well, my friend as we bring 00:27:33.500 --> 00:27:35.900 this book to a close it's an appropriate time 00:27:35.900 --> 00:27:41.240 to ask the question in our hearts Am I ready 00:27:41.240 --> 00:27:46.039 for the judgment? If I were to stand before God 00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:48.559 today, would I stand before Him as one of His 00:27:48.559 --> 00:27:53.140 beloved children to receive reward or as one 00:27:53.140 --> 00:27:57.019 who is a stranger to Him to receive damnation? 00:27:57.940 --> 00:28:00.359 You see, all of us will stand before God in one 00:28:00.359 --> 00:28:05.259 way or the other. That's sure. We expect that. 00:28:08.360 --> 00:28:10.559 However religious you may have been and like 00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:12.700 some of the ones who were baptized tonight, maybe 00:28:12.700 --> 00:28:15.680 you've been raised in a Christian environment. 00:28:17.259 --> 00:28:20.559 Maybe your parents are Christians or have been 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:24.900 Christians. Dear friend, God has no grandchildren. 00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:27.519 He has only children. You must make the decision 00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:32.279 for yourself. A Christian environment is a wonderful 00:28:32.279 --> 00:28:35.599 way to be raised, but it doesn't substitute for 00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:40.789 salvation. It can help prepare our hearts for 00:28:40.789 --> 00:28:44.269 that day when we trust Jesus Christ. Have you 00:28:44.269 --> 00:28:48.430 trusted Him alone? You say, no, how do I do that? 00:28:48.750 --> 00:28:51.910 Simply by in your heart acknowledging your sinfulness 00:28:51.910 --> 00:28:57.250 to God and saying, oh God, I confess my sins 00:28:57.250 --> 00:29:01.849 to you. And I come to you through your Son Jesus 00:29:01.849 --> 00:29:04.410 Christ who suffered and died on the cross for 00:29:04.410 --> 00:29:09.220 my sins and who rose again. And I turn from everything 00:29:09.220 --> 00:29:12.880 else that I've trusted in all of my life to place 00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:18.680 my faith in your Son alone. And dear friend, 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:22.480 when you and I do that with all of our hearts, 00:29:22.539 --> 00:29:25.420 when we do that, God receives us as His children. 00:29:27.579 --> 00:29:32.400 He changes His relationship to us and He saves 00:29:32.400 --> 00:29:36.460 us. I hope that might be your heart's decision 00:29:36.460 --> 00:29:41.480 tonight. And oh, may those of us who know Christ 00:29:41.480 --> 00:29:48.740 be growing. Father, we give thanks to you for 00:29:48.740 --> 00:29:50.740 what we've studied in this book over the last 00:29:50.740 --> 00:29:55.579 months, for Peter's heart of passion for us, 00:29:55.640 --> 00:29:59.460 though we've lived now 2 ,000 years later, and 00:29:59.460 --> 00:30:02.220 yet his intense desire recorded in his words 00:30:02.220 --> 00:30:06.789 that we too might grow. in the grace and knowledge 00:30:06.789 --> 00:30:09.349 of Jesus Christ. May it be true of us, Lord. 00:30:10.250 --> 00:30:14.089 May none of us come short of the grace of God. 00:30:15.690 --> 00:30:18.029 May none of us have received the grace of God 00:30:18.029 --> 00:30:25.430 in vain, but may we be growing. Father, I pray 00:30:25.430 --> 00:30:29.329 tonight that as we go out the doors, back to 00:30:29.329 --> 00:30:33.789 our homes, and into a new week of responsibilities, 00:30:34.220 --> 00:30:39.019 that will be mindful that you're with us, but 00:30:39.019 --> 00:30:42.420 also mindful of what we expect in the new order 00:30:42.420 --> 00:30:47.440 that's to come. And may we be living and thinking 00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:52.480 right in light of all of that. In Jesus' name 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:55.059 I pray, amen.