But tonight would you open your Bible with me
please to the book of second Peter as we look
at the third chapter I Remember a time in Chicago
when I was a student there that some of us Went
to the loop area, which is the downtown Chicago
area and there we Stood on the sidewalk just
looking up And it was very interesting to watch
the reaction of people around us who had passed
by. Some would look up and then go on their way,
and there were others who just joined us there
looking up. They had no idea in the world what
we were looking up at, and we didn't either.
It was just an experiment to see how many people
we could get to look up. They didn't know what
they were to expect. I want to ask you a question
tonight. What are you expecting? Our text this
evening deals with that theme. In this chapter
three times, we are told that we're to be looking
for something to come in the future and that
it should make a difference in our lives. We
as God's people are a people of the future. We
have a past, thank God it's forgiven. We live
in the present. That's the trial of today. and
the difficulties and the blessings that we experience,
but we're really a people of the future. We live
with our eyes fixed on the future. And I remind
you again of that verse in Romans chapter 8 that
says, we are saved for the hope. I think the
Moffat translation says something like, we are
saved with this hope in view. And the context
there is the hope of the restoration of all things.
and the adoption of our own bodies, that is,
the changing, the transformation of our bodies
to be like the body of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's the hope that we have. That's what we're
looking for. And it's good to be reminded of
that fact. In fact, that is what Peter tells
us in this chapter. He says, I want to remind
you. He says, you know this already, but I want
to bring it to your attention again. Notice how
he puts it. This is now, beloved, the second
letter I'm writing to you in which I am stirring
up your sincere mind by way of reminder that
you should remember." You get the idea that Peter
thinks we forget easily. Peter must have known
us even though we're living 2 ,000 years later.
We haven't changed a whole lot, have we, in these
2 ,000 years? We do easily forget. We get our
eyes off of the things that are important and
onto the things that are urgent, and we get carried
off in many directions. Peter says, look, I want
to stir up your minds. I want to fan your minds
to flame again regarding these things that you've
already been told, but now you need to be reminded
of them. He says, the word spoken beforehand
by the holy prophets and the commandment of the
Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. Just
in passing, let me mention this. The only time
you find that phrase in the New Testament, your
apostles. There are some who say that this was
a slip of the pen by some guy who wrote this
book in Peter's name a long time later than the
first century. In fact, we do not accept that
criticism of this book at all. We believe that
it was, in fact, written by the apostle Peter.
And Peter is simply acknowledging here, humbly
but frankly, his apostolic authority, along with
the others appointed to that office by our Lord.
He says, know this first of all, that in the
last days, mockers will come with their mocking,
following after their own lusts and saying, where
is the promise of His coming? For ever since
the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as
it was from the beginning of creation. But when
they maintain this, it escapes their notice that
by the Word of God the heavens existed long ago,
and the earth was formed out of water and by
water, through which the world at that time,
or the world of old, is a better way of saying
it. was destroyed, being flooded with water.
But the present heavens and earth, by his word,
are being reserved for fire, kept for the day
of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. Do
not let this one fact escape your notice." It
goes back to the fact that we do let things escape
our notice. He says, don't let this escape your
notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day,
is as a thousand years and a thousand years is
one day. He's not there giving us a ratio that
in heaven one day occurs when there's a thousand
years on the earth. He's simply saying that time
is irrelevant really to an eternal God. The Lord
is not slow about his promise as some count slowness.
but is patient toward you, not wishing for any
to perish, but for all to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief."
What are we to expect? We're reminded to expect
the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord. That
is an important eschatological or prophetic term
in the scriptures. It is one that refers to the
conclusion of the present world order as we know
it. It is a time that in Scripture is described
in terms of judgment as he does in verse 7, in
terms of destruction of ungodly people, but also
in terms of blessing and restoration. It is described
in terms of the tribulation as well as the coming
kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. The day of
the Lord embraces both of those thoughts, and
so the day of the Lord is not a 24 -hour period,
but rather it is a lengthy period of time that's
described as a day which the Lord overtly controls
and in which He will intervene. In the history
of the world, the present period is sometimes
termed the day of man. I think it's Paul that
uses that phrase in his writings. It is a day
when man seems to rule, when everything is focused
upon humanity, and God is largely neglected.
But this will be God's day. This will be the
day of the Lord when God will become the focus
of all and when He will directly intervene in
the flow of human history. I believe that this
day of the Lord is to be distinguished technically
from another phrase that we find only in the
New Testament and that is the phrase the day
of Christ or the day of Jesus Christ. That phrase
is found in Philippians 1 6 1 Corinthians 1,
verses 7 and 8, and in chapter 5, verse 5, as
well as in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 14. The day
of Christ, in those contexts, is describing the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for the church.
It's that event that we sometimes call the rapture.
of the church. It is a day, it is an event for
which there are no signs to point. It is a day
that can happen at any moment. It is always described
as being imminent, which means it could happen
at any time. That the Antichrist doesn't have
to come first. There doesn't have to be the restoration
of the Jews to Israel or any of those things
before that day of Christ can occur. And we're
to live with that kind of expectancy. And in
terms of our own participation, that is exactly
what we're looking for, the coming of our Lord
for His church. But that day of Christ will set
in motion Events that will fall out into the
day of the Lord. I'm not going to say that at
10 o 'clock on one Friday the rapture will occur
and at 10 .01 the day of the Lord starts. But
at the moment the rapture does occur, events
will begin to quickly unfold that will lead to
this extended period of time called the day of
the Lord. We learned some things about the day
of the Lord in our text this evening. It is that
the day of the Lord is predicted by the prophets
and the apostles of our Lord Jesus. What Peter
is telling us here is that this is not some minor
theme. This is not a point he's dragging out
of obscurity into the light. But here is a truth.
Here is a theme of scripture that is spoken of
in the warp and woof. of the Bible. He says the
prophets talked about this. Now just in case
you're wondering which prophets, I'm going to
read you a list. You're going to have to write
quickly to get them all because I can't take
time to dictate it to you. But Isaiah talks about
the day of the Lord. Isaiah 2, Isaiah 10, Isaiah
13, Isaiah 26, Isaiah 34, Isaiah 63, Isaiah 66.
Now in some places it's called in that day or
simply that day, but it's clear that this future
period is in view that is described as the day
of the Lord. Jeremiah talks about it in chapter
25 verse 29, chapter 46 and verse 10. Ezekiel
refers to it in chapter 30 and verse 3 of his
book. The book of Joel is largely written around
the whole theme of the day of the Lord. Amos
talked about it, chapter 5 verse 18. Obadiah
in verse 15. Zephaniah, chapter 1 and verse 7.
Zechariah, chapter 12, verses 1 through 9. Six
times in that paragraph, he refers to that day,
that day, that day, and you look at it, it's
the day of the Lord. Chapter 14, verse 1 again,
Zechariah refers to it. Malachi, chapter 4, verse
1. The prophets pointed to the day of the Lord,
a time of terrifying judgments as well as a time
of joyful blessings. And so did the apostles.
Jesus himself spoke of the day. He describes
it in Matthew chapter 24 in some detail. We'll
turn to that text a little bit later. And then
the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. built
on what Jesus said. They were writing by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but they weren't
off over here in some theme that they'd never
heard of before. They simply were writing an
extension of what Jesus began to teach them about
this end of the age and the new age. Not the
way we hear it today. A new millennium. A thousand
year period in the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Peter spoke about it in Acts chapter 2 on the
day of Pentecost, quoting Joel. He writes about
it here in this book. Paul wrote about it in
1 Thessalonians 5, 2, and 2 Thessalonians 2,
verse 2. Jude speaks of it in verse 6 of his
book, and John speaks about it in Revelation
2, 27, chapter 6, verse 17, and many other places
in the book of the Revelation. And so when he
says, we want you to remember what was spoken
beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment
of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles,
he's talking about a theme that we need to keep
in mind. It's an important theme. It's the day
of the Lord. It is essential for this day to
come upon the earth for two reasons. The first
place to bring God's righteous wrath upon His
enemies. We have studied that somewhat in chapter
2 of this book. We read about it tonight in verse
7 of this very chapter. There will come a time
upon the earth when God will pour out His judgment
upon His enemies. It's essential for that day
to come. But it will also come so that God might
fulfill His promises to Israel. And so that he
might restore the throne to David and to David's
seed, descendant, the Lord Jesus Christ. I've
been doing some reading, my personal reading,
in the book of Jeremiah. And it's been reaffirming
in my mind that God has given certain promises
to the Jewish nation. which have not been fulfilled.
And people can rationalize about that, and they
can say, well, this is figurative. It somehow
spiritually applies to the church. They can do
all they want to with it, but it still means
what it says, that God has a future for the Jewish
people. And so the day of the Lord must come
upon the earth so that God can keep his word.
And God is going to restore the throne to David.
Are there signs of the day of the Lord? Well,
yes, there are. In fact, that was the chief questions
the disciples asked Jesus on the mount, and he
responded with his sermon on the mount. the signs
of this day that we're talking about. So the
day of the Lord was spoken of by the prophets
and by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ
as well as Jesus himself. Now the second thing
we see in our text here in 2nd Peter 3 is that
the day of the Lord is preceded by scoffers.
Know this first of all. Peter is saying here
basically, here is something that deserves priority
in your thinking. In the last days, mockers will
come. Let's think for a moment about this term,
the last days, because that signifies to us the
time of their mocking. In one sense, the last
days is a term that describes this whole age.
since our Lord came until this day. It is spoken
of, this period is spoken of that way in Hebrews
1, for example, where it says, in these last
days God has spoken to us by His Son. That's
in contrast to the former days before Christ.
This is a way that Peter himself uses the term.
Back in 1 Peter, 1 and verse 20. Regarding Christ,
he says, he was foreknown before the foundation
of the world, but has appeared in these last
times for your sake. Peter's talking about the
last times as being this whole 2 ,000 year now
period following Christ's coming. We live in
the last times, but so did Martin Luther. The
Crusades were in the last times. Constantine
was in the last times. The Apostles were in the
last times. Our Lord inaugurated the last times,
the last days upon the earth. It's just 2 ,000
years of last days, yes. On our clock, that's
the way it's worked out. But I believe there's
another sense in which this term is used. By
Paul, for example, in 1st Timothy 4 and in 2nd
Timothy 3 When he writes about the concluding
days of this age So that it's in a general sense.
It's this whole age, but there's another more
intensive sense in which the last days refer
to the compressed period of time right in the
conclusion of this age in which we now live,
sometimes called the age of grace. Peter says
in these last times there will be mockers. Were
there mockers in Peter's day? Absolutely. Are
there mockers today? Of course there are and
I think that they will increase as the days grow
short. So what is a mocker? What is a scoffer?
Well the verb behind this This noun means to
play with something. So you have the idea of
someone making a joke or toying or playing with
the idea that they're mocking. And he tells us
what they say in verse 4 as they make fun with
this whole idea of the coming of Christ. Now
what is the reason for their mocking, their scoffing?
Well, Peter says that they're doing this following
after their own lusts." Pretty potent phrase,
really. He said it's their fleshly cravings that
provoke them and motivate them to follow this
train of thought. Are they mocking because they
have come to some kind of an intelligent decision
that what they're mocking is wrong? No, Peter
says. The reason they're mocking is because of
their moral choice to follow after their own
fleshly lusts. And because of that moral decision,
not an intellectual decision, their moral decision,
therefore they make mockery of what God says
is going to happen in the day of the Lord. He
says they... this whole idea escapes their notice.
I don't care for that rendering too much because
it kind of gives the idea that somehow, oops,
it just slipped by them. And that's not the point
at all. The point is that they willfully choose
to remain ignorant of certain things. They do
not wish to think of judgment and therefore they
deny it. They want to live out their own fleshly
lusts without any thought of accountability.
Now, what is the content, the argument of their
scoffing? Well, they say, look, things have always
been just like they are now. There's a certain
continuity in things. Ever since the fathers,
who are they? Well, those are the patriarchs.
That's a term that describes real old people,
even older than some of us here. The fathers.
You look back as far as you can see in history,
you get out your binoculars, you see those people,
that's the fathers. Now he says, ever since those
people died, they fell asleep, all continues
just as it has been from the beginning of creation.
They say there's this unbroken cycle of human
history, this continuity. Philosophers refer
to it as uniformitarianism. You usually use that
word with the adjective supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Uniformitarianism. And it's really a basic assumption
of our science today. Our scientific laws are
built upon the idea that things just are always
the same. that there's a certain stability about
nature. Now, they make three mistakes, really,
these people who take that approach. First of
all, they assume they know everything that's
ever happened. They think they know all of history,
which no one knows. Secondly, their argument
is, well, if it hasn't happened before, it's
not going to happen in the future. Oh? I've never
had cancer before, but that doesn't mean it won't
happen in the future. And he says, they willfully
deny certain historical events that they can
know about. Those are the mistakes that these
scoffers make in their arguments. They say, where
is the promise of his coming? And they maintain
this. He says, when they maintain this, it escapes
their notice that certain things have happened
in the history of the world. He's not coming.
Where's the promise that God is going to judge?
That Jesus Christ is coming again? Come on. It's
never happened before. Things have always continued
just like they are now. Peter says, first of
all, it escapes their notice that by the Word
of God, the heavens existed long ago. Now again,
I want you to note that it's not just that this
somehow slips by them, but this is something
they choose to deny. They willfully turn away
from this idea that God created the heavens and
the earth. And He created it by His Word. In
fact, that is emphasized in the way Peter writes
this. He says, by His Word, by the Word of God.
The heavens existed long ago. And the earth was
formed out of water and by water, which seems
to be a reference to the dry land appearing in
Genesis chapter 1. Then in verse 6 he says, through
which the ancient world, the world of old, was
destroyed. We have to back up and ask, what does
he mean by through which? It's plural, number
one. So we have to go back and say, well, what
could that refer to? And I think the best answer
is he's saying, through his word and through
water, the world of old was destroyed, being
flooded with water. The clear reference here
is to the Noahic flood. The second thing that
the scoffers refused to admit to is that things
have not always been like they are now. that
God has previously intervened in human history
and brought supernatural judgment to the human
race. Of course, these people don't want to admit
to that because they don't want a God who's going
to intervene and bring judgment to them. He is
talking here about a universal flood that is
described in Genesis chapter 6, 7, 8, and 9.
By the way, I mentioned this morning something
I'd heard on the news in the last ten days that
referred or tied in with all of this. And it
wasn't a very clear report, but Channel 5, within
the last ten days, had a story regarding some
archaeologists whom they did not identify. I
wish they had done that. But these archaeologists
were saying that they have... concluded that
they have now found the Ark on Mount Ararat and
they were holding models of what they felt the
Ark look like and held it up to the pictures
of the formations on Mount Ararat and they were
pointing out what they felt were the water reserve
system on the Ark now turned on its side and
another piece of the Ark that was torn away and
laying in a different angle to the rest of the
body. And whether these were Christian archaeologists
or they were otherwise archaeologists, I don't
know. They weren't identified. But Channel 5
reported this, and I do remember this is ratings
month. I'm aware of that. But they reported this
as fact, which I thought was most interesting.
There was no sense of scoffing. in the report,
but they concluded the story by saying that these
archaeologists expect next spring to go to this
spot on Mount Ararat, which they can now gain
access to because of the whole new political
system over there in that part of the world.
And they expect to come back with definite proof,
even pieces, of the Ark, most of which they say
is now buried under 60 feet of ice. I thought
that's very interesting. I mentioned that to
a friend of mine and the response was, well what
do you think that that will do for Christians?
And my response was, well probably not a whole
lot because we already believe what the Bible
says. It may help some, it may encourage some,
but what will it do to the world? I think that's
the more interesting question. Let's assume for
the moment that the report is correct and let's
assume that they do bring back some of the ark.
What's happening here? There's an interesting
text in Matthew chapter 24 verses 37 through
39. It might be worth our while just to look
at it for a moment. This is the Sermon on the
Mount I referred to earlier and Jesus has now
given some of the signs pointing to The day of
the Lord when he will return to the earth with
judgment not for the church now, but later with
judgment and to establish his kingdom And he
says in verse 36 of that day an hour No one knows
not even the angels of heaven nor the son, but
the father alone For the coming of the Son of
Man will be just like the days of Noah For as
in those days which were before the flood they
were eating and drinking they were marrying and
giving and marriage until the day that Noah entered
the ark and They did not understand until the
flood came and took them all away So shall the
coming of the Son of Man be? Jesus is obviously
saying that there are characteristics of those
days before the flood that will characterize
the end times But the point I'm drawing upon
now is this. Wouldn't it be interesting if in
these days, just prior to our Lord's coming again
and his intervention in human history, suddenly,
after thousands of years, the ark resurfaces.
And there it exists on Mount Ararat as a testimony
a physical testimony to the world that God has
intervened before in human history, that there
was a flood, that there was a judgment, how in
the world are people going to respond to that?
Quite honestly, I don't think it will bring a
worldwide revival. I think what it will do is
simply somehow turn up the heat on believers
and result in greater mocking and scoffing. That's
what I think the end result would be if that
were to happen. Now, I'm not going to predict
they're going to find the flood next spring.
Don't go out of here and say that. Or find the
ark, rather. I'm not saying that tonight. But
I'm saying if they do, it's so interesting what
Jesus said about it being like the days of Noah
when there was an ark being built testifying
to judgment coming. If in these days God allows
the archery surface again to testify that judgment
is coming God has interrupted human history before
and he's going to do it again Peter says The
present heavens and earth system as it is now
By his word are being reserved for fire not water,
but for fire, kept for the day of judgment and
destruction of ungodly men." Now, he's going
to come back to that theme in verse 10, and we'll
pick that up, Lord willing, next week and talk
some more about that fire and what all of this
may mean. But the point is, Peter's saying, look,
God is going to intervene again. God is going
to bring judgment. He did it once before in the
flood. He is going to do it again, only this
time it's not going to be water as his instrument
of judgment. It's going to be fire. There may
be some who would respond by saying, well, if
this is going to happen, then why has it been
so long? And so he begins now to tell us a third
fact about the day of the Lord, and that is that
the day of the Lord is postponed by him. He says,
stop allowing it to escape your notice. Again,
I point out that they were letting it get by.
He says, don't let this fact escape. That God's
clock is different than ours. Delay does not
mean forgetfulness on God's part. We must not
think that God has forgotten what he has said
he is going to do. We must not become impatient
with God. God is on His schedule, not ours. And
God isn't in a hurry like we are. We think it's
got to happen now. And if not now, at least this
year, and if not this year, at least in my lifetime.
But God is not constrained by any of that. God
says, I have my clock. And the suggestion is
here that God is postponing. Has God ever done
that before? Yes. God is patient with sinners.
He was in the days of Noah. We read that Noah
was a preacher of righteousness in those days
before the flood. That is, he proclaimed the
righteousness of God and God's judgment upon
sin. And God waited 120 years beyond the time
that he announced judgment for sinners to repent.
And during that time, the ark was being constructed
and built and prepared. 120 years. God waited.
God is patient with sinners. God is patient with
sinners today. And the implication seems to be
here that the day of the Lord has been postponed.
as we would see it from our perspective. Why?
Because God desires for all to be saved. The
Lord's not slow, as some people think, but He's
patient toward you, He says, not wishing for
any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.
When it says that God does not wish any to perish,
it doesn't mean that God has decreed none will
perish. That that is God's decretive will that
none will perish because there will be many who
will perish. But the NASV puts it, God is not
wishing for any to perish. That is the feeling
of God's heart. That is the wish of God's heart.
You say, well, if that's what God wishes, why
doesn't God decree that? You'll have to ask Him.
But the fact is, God does not delight in the
death of the wicked. But he has decreed that
the wicked will be judged and will die, be punished
in everlasting fire. But in light of what we've
seen here tonight about the Day of the Lord,
what should we count our responsibilities to
be? In the first place, I would put it this way,
we need to think right. We need to be careful
that we don't buy into the wrong presuppositions
of the world in which we live. It's just all
around us. The denial of God, the denial of God's
intervention, the denial of the flood, the denial
of creation. So much the world denies. And why?
Because there's an intellectual decision that
this is wrong, no. It's a moral choice. They
want to follow after their lusts and enjoy sin
without any threat of judgment. Because we expect
the day of the Lord to come upon the earth, we
need to think right. We need to make the knowledge
of God the foundation upon which everything else
is built in our lives. This is so important for
those who are in school, who are learning under
teachers, who have bought into the presuppositions
that are prevalent in our age. Our young people
need to be constantly reminded that the knowledge
of God is the foundation for all other knowledge.
That's one reason we're so committed here to
Christian education, to children, to students,
and to adults as well. The knowledge of God is
the foundation of all other knowledge. We need
to think right. Secondly, we need to live right.
He goes on to say in verse 11, since these things
are going to be destroyed, what sort of people
ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?
In verse 14, he says, Be diligent to be found
by him in peace, spotless and blameless. There
are ethical considerations we need to remember
in our business life, in our relationships to
other people, in our marriages and homes. We
are to be people who are characterized by what
he says is holy conduct. Take time to be holy.
Speak oft with thy Lord. We sang earlier. holiness
in conduct, living differently, by different
standards than the world around us, and godliness.
What's that? It's God -centeredness. Live right
and finally speak right. Noah did. Back in chapter
2 and verse 5, look what it says about him. God
preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness.
with seven others when he brought a flood upon
the world of the ungodly. You and I are called
to live in an exciting time. And in this day,
the last days, in the days when we can see signs
pointing toward the day of the Lord, we are to
be a people who are speaking right and like Noah
of old, we are to declare the righteousness of
God. And we are to call people to be right with
God. by repenting of sin and believing on the
Lord Jesus Christ. So what are you looking for?
Well, it's not time to be standing around looking
up in the air looking at nothing. It's time for
us to be looking for the coming of our Lord.
A coming that will involve ultimately judgment
upon the ungodly and their destruction. then
the establishment of the kingdom of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. In light of that, we
need to think right, we need to live right, we
need to speak right as would please Him. Let's
bow together. Fathers, we've been able to lay
before ourselves tonight by way of reminder these
truths about what to expect. Our desire is that
the Holy Spirit will now cause us to depart with
this anticipation and joy in our hearts. And
may it make a difference, Lord. May it not simply
excite our curiosity, but may it excite the way
that we think, the way that we live, and the
way that we speak to those around us. And may
we live by faith, as did Noah. And may we find
your approval as Noah did in those days before
the flood. May we be preachers of righteousness.
In Jesus' name, amen. In closing, I'd like for
us to sing a verse of 463. This was requested
last week by one of the young men in our church.
And tonight it just kind of fits in with this
theme of looking to the future that we've talked
about. And so I'd like to sing it not only for
him, and Micah knows who he is, but we'll sing
it for ourselves because it expresses our own
hope. I trust it's your hope and your confidence.
When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
463, let's stand as we sing. When the trumpet
of the Lord shall sound in times of need no more.