WEBVTT 00:00:03.180 --> 00:00:05.940 But tonight would you open your Bible with me 00:00:05.940 --> 00:00:08.560 please to the book of second Peter as we look 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:15.560 at the third chapter I Remember a time in Chicago 00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:19.579 when I was a student there that some of us Went 00:00:19.579 --> 00:00:24.339 to the loop area, which is the downtown Chicago 00:00:24.339 --> 00:00:31.480 area and there we Stood on the sidewalk just 00:00:31.480 --> 00:00:35.359 looking up And it was very interesting to watch 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:37.420 the reaction of people around us who had passed 00:00:37.420 --> 00:00:39.679 by. Some would look up and then go on their way, 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:41.560 and there were others who just joined us there 00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:44.780 looking up. They had no idea in the world what 00:00:44.780 --> 00:00:46.619 we were looking up at, and we didn't either. 00:00:47.179 --> 00:00:49.359 It was just an experiment to see how many people 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.840 we could get to look up. They didn't know what 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:56.960 they were to expect. I want to ask you a question 00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:01.310 tonight. What are you expecting? Our text this 00:01:01.310 --> 00:01:04.290 evening deals with that theme. In this chapter 00:01:04.290 --> 00:01:08.310 three times, we are told that we're to be looking 00:01:08.310 --> 00:01:11.890 for something to come in the future and that 00:01:11.890 --> 00:01:15.829 it should make a difference in our lives. We 00:01:15.829 --> 00:01:20.450 as God's people are a people of the future. We 00:01:20.450 --> 00:01:24.109 have a past, thank God it's forgiven. We live 00:01:24.109 --> 00:01:29.480 in the present. That's the trial of today. and 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:31.879 the difficulties and the blessings that we experience, 00:01:31.939 --> 00:01:34.859 but we're really a people of the future. We live 00:01:34.859 --> 00:01:37.620 with our eyes fixed on the future. And I remind 00:01:37.620 --> 00:01:40.620 you again of that verse in Romans chapter 8 that 00:01:40.620 --> 00:01:42.780 says, we are saved for the hope. I think the 00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:45.719 Moffat translation says something like, we are 00:01:45.719 --> 00:01:50.620 saved with this hope in view. And the context 00:01:50.620 --> 00:01:55.400 there is the hope of the restoration of all things. 00:01:56.390 --> 00:01:59.409 and the adoption of our own bodies, that is, 00:01:59.569 --> 00:02:01.750 the changing, the transformation of our bodies 00:02:01.750 --> 00:02:04.609 to be like the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:02:04.709 --> 00:02:07.629 It's the hope that we have. That's what we're 00:02:07.629 --> 00:02:11.810 looking for. And it's good to be reminded of 00:02:11.810 --> 00:02:14.250 that fact. In fact, that is what Peter tells 00:02:14.250 --> 00:02:15.969 us in this chapter. He says, I want to remind 00:02:15.969 --> 00:02:19.270 you. He says, you know this already, but I want 00:02:19.270 --> 00:02:21.110 to bring it to your attention again. Notice how 00:02:21.110 --> 00:02:24.210 he puts it. This is now, beloved, the second 00:02:24.210 --> 00:02:26.849 letter I'm writing to you in which I am stirring 00:02:26.849 --> 00:02:31.009 up your sincere mind by way of reminder that 00:02:31.009 --> 00:02:34.650 you should remember." You get the idea that Peter 00:02:34.650 --> 00:02:38.509 thinks we forget easily. Peter must have known 00:02:38.509 --> 00:02:41.009 us even though we're living 2 ,000 years later. 00:02:41.789 --> 00:02:44.969 We haven't changed a whole lot, have we, in these 00:02:44.969 --> 00:02:49.289 2 ,000 years? We do easily forget. We get our 00:02:49.289 --> 00:02:52.909 eyes off of the things that are important and 00:02:52.909 --> 00:02:55.689 onto the things that are urgent, and we get carried 00:02:55.689 --> 00:02:58.909 off in many directions. Peter says, look, I want 00:02:58.909 --> 00:03:01.810 to stir up your minds. I want to fan your minds 00:03:01.810 --> 00:03:04.789 to flame again regarding these things that you've 00:03:04.789 --> 00:03:08.129 already been told, but now you need to be reminded 00:03:08.129 --> 00:03:11.430 of them. He says, the word spoken beforehand 00:03:11.430 --> 00:03:15.009 by the holy prophets and the commandment of the 00:03:15.009 --> 00:03:19.060 Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. Just 00:03:19.060 --> 00:03:20.939 in passing, let me mention this. The only time 00:03:20.939 --> 00:03:24.060 you find that phrase in the New Testament, your 00:03:24.060 --> 00:03:27.520 apostles. There are some who say that this was 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.780 a slip of the pen by some guy who wrote this 00:03:31.780 --> 00:03:34.740 book in Peter's name a long time later than the 00:03:34.740 --> 00:03:38.819 first century. In fact, we do not accept that 00:03:38.819 --> 00:03:41.419 criticism of this book at all. We believe that 00:03:41.419 --> 00:03:44.360 it was, in fact, written by the apostle Peter. 00:03:44.729 --> 00:03:48.110 And Peter is simply acknowledging here, humbly 00:03:48.110 --> 00:03:53.469 but frankly, his apostolic authority, along with 00:03:53.469 --> 00:03:55.990 the others appointed to that office by our Lord. 00:03:57.930 --> 00:04:00.590 He says, know this first of all, that in the 00:04:00.590 --> 00:04:05.349 last days, mockers will come with their mocking, 00:04:06.330 --> 00:04:09.830 following after their own lusts and saying, where 00:04:09.830 --> 00:04:13.259 is the promise of His coming? For ever since 00:04:13.259 --> 00:04:17.000 the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:21.639 it was from the beginning of creation. But when 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:25.279 they maintain this, it escapes their notice that 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:29.199 by the Word of God the heavens existed long ago, 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:32.779 and the earth was formed out of water and by 00:04:32.779 --> 00:04:37.300 water, through which the world at that time, 00:04:37.319 --> 00:04:40.220 or the world of old, is a better way of saying 00:04:40.220 --> 00:04:44.910 it. was destroyed, being flooded with water. 00:04:45.829 --> 00:04:48.709 But the present heavens and earth, by his word, 00:04:49.589 --> 00:04:53.149 are being reserved for fire, kept for the day 00:04:53.149 --> 00:04:57.850 of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. Do 00:04:57.850 --> 00:05:00.930 not let this one fact escape your notice." It 00:05:00.930 --> 00:05:03.250 goes back to the fact that we do let things escape 00:05:03.250 --> 00:05:06.389 our notice. He says, don't let this escape your 00:05:06.389 --> 00:05:08.889 notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day, 00:05:09.290 --> 00:05:12.370 is as a thousand years and a thousand years is 00:05:12.370 --> 00:05:17.410 one day. He's not there giving us a ratio that 00:05:17.410 --> 00:05:21.449 in heaven one day occurs when there's a thousand 00:05:21.449 --> 00:05:24.850 years on the earth. He's simply saying that time 00:05:24.850 --> 00:05:31.069 is irrelevant really to an eternal God. The Lord 00:05:31.069 --> 00:05:34.930 is not slow about his promise as some count slowness. 00:05:35.100 --> 00:05:38.000 but is patient toward you, not wishing for any 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:41.339 to perish, but for all to come to repentance. 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:47.000 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief." 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:52.860 What are we to expect? We're reminded to expect 00:05:52.860 --> 00:05:57.620 the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord. That 00:05:57.620 --> 00:06:01.399 is an important eschatological or prophetic term 00:06:01.399 --> 00:06:05.910 in the scriptures. It is one that refers to the 00:06:05.910 --> 00:06:10.829 conclusion of the present world order as we know 00:06:10.829 --> 00:06:15.629 it. It is a time that in Scripture is described 00:06:15.629 --> 00:06:22.329 in terms of judgment as he does in verse 7, in 00:06:22.329 --> 00:06:27.389 terms of destruction of ungodly people, but also 00:06:27.389 --> 00:06:33.709 in terms of blessing and restoration. It is described 00:06:33.709 --> 00:06:37.269 in terms of the tribulation as well as the coming 00:06:37.269 --> 00:06:41.790 kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. The day of 00:06:41.790 --> 00:06:43.889 the Lord embraces both of those thoughts, and 00:06:43.889 --> 00:06:47.129 so the day of the Lord is not a 24 -hour period, 00:06:48.910 --> 00:06:53.529 but rather it is a lengthy period of time that's 00:06:53.529 --> 00:06:59.250 described as a day which the Lord overtly controls 00:06:59.250 --> 00:07:03.740 and in which He will intervene. In the history 00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:09.220 of the world, the present period is sometimes 00:07:09.220 --> 00:07:12.519 termed the day of man. I think it's Paul that 00:07:12.519 --> 00:07:17.040 uses that phrase in his writings. It is a day 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:21.899 when man seems to rule, when everything is focused 00:07:21.899 --> 00:07:25.759 upon humanity, and God is largely neglected. 00:07:26.819 --> 00:07:30.050 But this will be God's day. This will be the 00:07:30.050 --> 00:07:32.949 day of the Lord when God will become the focus 00:07:32.949 --> 00:07:37.709 of all and when He will directly intervene in 00:07:37.709 --> 00:07:42.290 the flow of human history. I believe that this 00:07:42.290 --> 00:07:44.629 day of the Lord is to be distinguished technically 00:07:44.629 --> 00:07:47.550 from another phrase that we find only in the 00:07:47.550 --> 00:07:49.750 New Testament and that is the phrase the day 00:07:49.750 --> 00:07:55.649 of Christ or the day of Jesus Christ. That phrase 00:07:55.649 --> 00:08:03.110 is found in Philippians 1 6 1 Corinthians 1, 00:08:03.189 --> 00:08:07.250 verses 7 and 8, and in chapter 5, verse 5, as 00:08:07.250 --> 00:08:12.149 well as in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 14. The day 00:08:12.149 --> 00:08:18.490 of Christ, in those contexts, is describing the 00:08:18.490 --> 00:08:21.790 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ for the church. 00:08:23.110 --> 00:08:27.189 It's that event that we sometimes call the rapture. 00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:34.259 of the church. It is a day, it is an event for 00:08:34.259 --> 00:08:39.379 which there are no signs to point. It is a day 00:08:39.379 --> 00:08:44.539 that can happen at any moment. It is always described 00:08:44.539 --> 00:08:46.740 as being imminent, which means it could happen 00:08:46.740 --> 00:08:50.149 at any time. That the Antichrist doesn't have 00:08:50.149 --> 00:08:52.730 to come first. There doesn't have to be the restoration 00:08:52.730 --> 00:08:55.250 of the Jews to Israel or any of those things 00:08:55.250 --> 00:08:59.490 before that day of Christ can occur. And we're 00:08:59.490 --> 00:09:02.309 to live with that kind of expectancy. And in 00:09:02.309 --> 00:09:04.990 terms of our own participation, that is exactly 00:09:04.990 --> 00:09:07.649 what we're looking for, the coming of our Lord 00:09:07.649 --> 00:09:13.070 for His church. But that day of Christ will set 00:09:13.070 --> 00:09:18.389 in motion Events that will fall out into the 00:09:18.389 --> 00:09:21.009 day of the Lord. I'm not going to say that at 00:09:21.009 --> 00:09:23.929 10 o 'clock on one Friday the rapture will occur 00:09:23.929 --> 00:09:28.970 and at 10 .01 the day of the Lord starts. But 00:09:28.970 --> 00:09:31.429 at the moment the rapture does occur, events 00:09:31.429 --> 00:09:35.750 will begin to quickly unfold that will lead to 00:09:35.750 --> 00:09:40.610 this extended period of time called the day of 00:09:40.610 --> 00:09:44.899 the Lord. We learned some things about the day 00:09:44.899 --> 00:09:47.179 of the Lord in our text this evening. It is that 00:09:47.179 --> 00:09:49.360 the day of the Lord is predicted by the prophets 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:55.580 and the apostles of our Lord Jesus. What Peter 00:09:55.580 --> 00:09:58.100 is telling us here is that this is not some minor 00:09:58.100 --> 00:10:01.559 theme. This is not a point he's dragging out 00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:06.240 of obscurity into the light. But here is a truth. 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:10.659 Here is a theme of scripture that is spoken of 00:10:10.659 --> 00:10:14.070 in the warp and woof. of the Bible. He says the 00:10:14.070 --> 00:10:18.049 prophets talked about this. Now just in case 00:10:18.049 --> 00:10:19.889 you're wondering which prophets, I'm going to 00:10:19.889 --> 00:10:21.470 read you a list. You're going to have to write 00:10:21.470 --> 00:10:24.289 quickly to get them all because I can't take 00:10:24.289 --> 00:10:27.309 time to dictate it to you. But Isaiah talks about 00:10:27.309 --> 00:10:32.230 the day of the Lord. Isaiah 2, Isaiah 10, Isaiah 00:10:32.230 --> 00:10:37.870 13, Isaiah 26, Isaiah 34, Isaiah 63, Isaiah 66. 00:10:39.370 --> 00:10:44.610 Now in some places it's called in that day or 00:10:44.610 --> 00:10:49.190 simply that day, but it's clear that this future 00:10:49.190 --> 00:10:52.570 period is in view that is described as the day 00:10:52.570 --> 00:10:56.149 of the Lord. Jeremiah talks about it in chapter 00:10:56.149 --> 00:11:01.490 25 verse 29, chapter 46 and verse 10. Ezekiel 00:11:01.490 --> 00:11:04.049 refers to it in chapter 30 and verse 3 of his 00:11:04.049 --> 00:11:07.950 book. The book of Joel is largely written around 00:11:07.950 --> 00:11:10.860 the whole theme of the day of the Lord. Amos 00:11:10.860 --> 00:11:14.659 talked about it, chapter 5 verse 18. Obadiah 00:11:14.659 --> 00:11:19.820 in verse 15. Zephaniah, chapter 1 and verse 7. 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:23.279 Zechariah, chapter 12, verses 1 through 9. Six 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:27.299 times in that paragraph, he refers to that day, 00:11:27.340 --> 00:11:29.440 that day, that day, and you look at it, it's 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:33.440 the day of the Lord. Chapter 14, verse 1 again, 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:39.360 Zechariah refers to it. Malachi, chapter 4, verse 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:43.559 1. The prophets pointed to the day of the Lord, 00:11:44.500 --> 00:11:49.299 a time of terrifying judgments as well as a time 00:11:49.299 --> 00:11:54.080 of joyful blessings. And so did the apostles. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:58.580 Jesus himself spoke of the day. He describes 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:02.860 it in Matthew chapter 24 in some detail. We'll 00:12:02.860 --> 00:12:06.240 turn to that text a little bit later. And then 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:09.789 the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. built 00:12:09.789 --> 00:12:13.110 on what Jesus said. They were writing by the 00:12:13.110 --> 00:12:15.149 inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but they weren't 00:12:15.149 --> 00:12:17.190 off over here in some theme that they'd never 00:12:17.190 --> 00:12:19.990 heard of before. They simply were writing an 00:12:19.990 --> 00:12:23.690 extension of what Jesus began to teach them about 00:12:23.690 --> 00:12:28.990 this end of the age and the new age. Not the 00:12:28.990 --> 00:12:33.450 way we hear it today. A new millennium. A thousand 00:12:33.450 --> 00:12:36.909 year period in the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:12:37.699 --> 00:12:41.440 Peter spoke about it in Acts chapter 2 on the 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:45.379 day of Pentecost, quoting Joel. He writes about 00:12:45.379 --> 00:12:47.120 it here in this book. Paul wrote about it in 00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:50.399 1 Thessalonians 5, 2, and 2 Thessalonians 2, 00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:53.899 verse 2. Jude speaks of it in verse 6 of his 00:12:53.899 --> 00:12:57.700 book, and John speaks about it in Revelation 00:12:57.700 --> 00:13:01.500 2, 27, chapter 6, verse 17, and many other places 00:13:01.500 --> 00:13:04.950 in the book of the Revelation. And so when he 00:13:04.950 --> 00:13:06.990 says, we want you to remember what was spoken 00:13:06.990 --> 00:13:11.330 beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment 00:13:11.330 --> 00:13:13.889 of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles, 00:13:13.970 --> 00:13:18.250 he's talking about a theme that we need to keep 00:13:18.250 --> 00:13:23.370 in mind. It's an important theme. It's the day 00:13:23.370 --> 00:13:27.190 of the Lord. It is essential for this day to 00:13:27.190 --> 00:13:30.049 come upon the earth for two reasons. The first 00:13:30.049 --> 00:13:36.639 place to bring God's righteous wrath upon His 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:40.860 enemies. We have studied that somewhat in chapter 00:13:40.860 --> 00:13:44.039 2 of this book. We read about it tonight in verse 00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:47.740 7 of this very chapter. There will come a time 00:13:47.740 --> 00:13:50.360 upon the earth when God will pour out His judgment 00:13:50.360 --> 00:13:53.080 upon His enemies. It's essential for that day 00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:56.419 to come. But it will also come so that God might 00:13:56.419 --> 00:14:01.100 fulfill His promises to Israel. And so that he 00:14:01.100 --> 00:14:09.139 might restore the throne to David and to David's 00:14:09.139 --> 00:14:13.559 seed, descendant, the Lord Jesus Christ. I've 00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:15.559 been doing some reading, my personal reading, 00:14:15.620 --> 00:14:21.759 in the book of Jeremiah. And it's been reaffirming 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:25.419 in my mind that God has given certain promises 00:14:25.419 --> 00:14:30.259 to the Jewish nation. which have not been fulfilled. 00:14:34.220 --> 00:14:36.820 And people can rationalize about that, and they 00:14:36.820 --> 00:14:40.259 can say, well, this is figurative. It somehow 00:14:40.259 --> 00:14:42.480 spiritually applies to the church. They can do 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:46.580 all they want to with it, but it still means 00:14:46.580 --> 00:14:50.500 what it says, that God has a future for the Jewish 00:14:50.500 --> 00:14:56.779 people. And so the day of the Lord must come 00:14:56.779 --> 00:15:00.740 upon the earth so that God can keep his word. 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:05.240 And God is going to restore the throne to David. 00:15:06.860 --> 00:15:08.759 Are there signs of the day of the Lord? Well, 00:15:08.779 --> 00:15:12.340 yes, there are. In fact, that was the chief questions 00:15:12.340 --> 00:15:18.419 the disciples asked Jesus on the mount, and he 00:15:18.419 --> 00:15:22.549 responded with his sermon on the mount. the signs 00:15:22.549 --> 00:15:25.990 of this day that we're talking about. So the 00:15:25.990 --> 00:15:29.289 day of the Lord was spoken of by the prophets 00:15:29.289 --> 00:15:33.409 and by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ 00:15:33.409 --> 00:15:37.129 as well as Jesus himself. Now the second thing 00:15:37.129 --> 00:15:40.090 we see in our text here in 2nd Peter 3 is that 00:15:40.090 --> 00:15:43.909 the day of the Lord is preceded by scoffers. 00:15:45.389 --> 00:15:49.019 Know this first of all. Peter is saying here 00:15:49.019 --> 00:15:52.139 basically, here is something that deserves priority 00:15:52.139 --> 00:15:59.600 in your thinking. In the last days, mockers will 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:03.519 come. Let's think for a moment about this term, 00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:07.639 the last days, because that signifies to us the 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:13.259 time of their mocking. In one sense, the last 00:16:13.259 --> 00:16:16.740 days is a term that describes this whole age. 00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:25.759 since our Lord came until this day. It is spoken 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:28.700 of, this period is spoken of that way in Hebrews 00:16:28.700 --> 00:16:31.539 1, for example, where it says, in these last 00:16:31.539 --> 00:16:35.519 days God has spoken to us by His Son. That's 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:38.279 in contrast to the former days before Christ. 00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:45.100 This is a way that Peter himself uses the term. 00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:53.159 Back in 1 Peter, 1 and verse 20. Regarding Christ, 00:16:53.179 --> 00:16:56.600 he says, he was foreknown before the foundation 00:16:56.600 --> 00:17:00.500 of the world, but has appeared in these last 00:17:00.500 --> 00:17:05.579 times for your sake. Peter's talking about the 00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:09.960 last times as being this whole 2 ,000 year now 00:17:09.960 --> 00:17:14.900 period following Christ's coming. We live in 00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:18.430 the last times, but so did Martin Luther. The 00:17:18.430 --> 00:17:22.269 Crusades were in the last times. Constantine 00:17:22.269 --> 00:17:25.769 was in the last times. The Apostles were in the 00:17:25.769 --> 00:17:29.130 last times. Our Lord inaugurated the last times, 00:17:29.269 --> 00:17:32.490 the last days upon the earth. It's just 2 ,000 00:17:32.490 --> 00:17:35.869 years of last days, yes. On our clock, that's 00:17:35.869 --> 00:17:39.849 the way it's worked out. But I believe there's 00:17:39.849 --> 00:17:44.509 another sense in which this term is used. By 00:17:44.509 --> 00:17:51.519 Paul, for example, in 1st Timothy 4 and in 2nd 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:57.180 Timothy 3 When he writes about the concluding 00:17:57.180 --> 00:18:02.220 days of this age So that it's in a general sense. 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:05.099 It's this whole age, but there's another more 00:18:05.099 --> 00:18:10.660 intensive sense in which the last days refer 00:18:10.660 --> 00:18:14.539 to the compressed period of time right in the 00:18:14.539 --> 00:18:18.759 conclusion of this age in which we now live, 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:25.259 sometimes called the age of grace. Peter says 00:18:25.259 --> 00:18:27.759 in these last times there will be mockers. Were 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:32.160 there mockers in Peter's day? Absolutely. Are 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:34.339 there mockers today? Of course there are and 00:18:34.339 --> 00:18:37.140 I think that they will increase as the days grow 00:18:37.140 --> 00:18:40.299 short. So what is a mocker? What is a scoffer? 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:45.279 Well the verb behind this This noun means to 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:48.940 play with something. So you have the idea of 00:18:48.940 --> 00:18:52.099 someone making a joke or toying or playing with 00:18:52.099 --> 00:18:55.339 the idea that they're mocking. And he tells us 00:18:55.339 --> 00:18:59.180 what they say in verse 4 as they make fun with 00:18:59.180 --> 00:19:04.759 this whole idea of the coming of Christ. Now 00:19:04.759 --> 00:19:07.980 what is the reason for their mocking, their scoffing? 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:12.319 Well, Peter says that they're doing this following 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:17.180 after their own lusts." Pretty potent phrase, 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:24.200 really. He said it's their fleshly cravings that 00:19:24.200 --> 00:19:27.160 provoke them and motivate them to follow this 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:30.200 train of thought. Are they mocking because they 00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:33.119 have come to some kind of an intelligent decision 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:36.559 that what they're mocking is wrong? No, Peter 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:39.859 says. The reason they're mocking is because of 00:19:39.859 --> 00:19:44.359 their moral choice to follow after their own 00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:50.519 fleshly lusts. And because of that moral decision, 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:56.259 not an intellectual decision, their moral decision, 00:19:56.519 --> 00:20:00.940 therefore they make mockery of what God says 00:20:00.940 --> 00:20:05.460 is going to happen in the day of the Lord. He 00:20:05.460 --> 00:20:10.099 says they... this whole idea escapes their notice. 00:20:10.839 --> 00:20:13.299 I don't care for that rendering too much because 00:20:13.299 --> 00:20:16.500 it kind of gives the idea that somehow, oops, 00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:19.819 it just slipped by them. And that's not the point 00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:23.119 at all. The point is that they willfully choose 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:26.920 to remain ignorant of certain things. They do 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:29.839 not wish to think of judgment and therefore they 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:32.980 deny it. They want to live out their own fleshly 00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:35.339 lusts without any thought of accountability. 00:20:38.250 --> 00:20:41.450 Now, what is the content, the argument of their 00:20:41.450 --> 00:20:46.009 scoffing? Well, they say, look, things have always 00:20:46.009 --> 00:20:49.430 been just like they are now. There's a certain 00:20:49.430 --> 00:20:54.829 continuity in things. Ever since the fathers, 00:20:55.569 --> 00:20:58.250 who are they? Well, those are the patriarchs. 00:20:58.470 --> 00:21:01.730 That's a term that describes real old people, 00:21:02.329 --> 00:21:06.549 even older than some of us here. The fathers. 00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:10.319 You look back as far as you can see in history, 00:21:10.779 --> 00:21:13.680 you get out your binoculars, you see those people, 00:21:14.119 --> 00:21:18.579 that's the fathers. Now he says, ever since those 00:21:18.579 --> 00:21:22.940 people died, they fell asleep, all continues 00:21:22.940 --> 00:21:26.839 just as it has been from the beginning of creation. 00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:31.880 They say there's this unbroken cycle of human 00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:35.460 history, this continuity. Philosophers refer 00:21:35.460 --> 00:21:41.940 to it as uniformitarianism. You usually use that 00:21:41.940 --> 00:21:45.819 word with the adjective supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:52.900 Uniformitarianism. And it's really a basic assumption 00:21:52.900 --> 00:21:59.240 of our science today. Our scientific laws are 00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:02.599 built upon the idea that things just are always 00:22:02.599 --> 00:22:05.720 the same. that there's a certain stability about 00:22:05.720 --> 00:22:10.039 nature. Now, they make three mistakes, really, 00:22:10.039 --> 00:22:12.099 these people who take that approach. First of 00:22:12.099 --> 00:22:13.640 all, they assume they know everything that's 00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:18.019 ever happened. They think they know all of history, 00:22:18.700 --> 00:22:22.259 which no one knows. Secondly, their argument 00:22:22.259 --> 00:22:24.279 is, well, if it hasn't happened before, it's 00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:29.940 not going to happen in the future. Oh? I've never 00:22:29.940 --> 00:22:32.180 had cancer before, but that doesn't mean it won't 00:22:32.180 --> 00:22:38.640 happen in the future. And he says, they willfully 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:41.359 deny certain historical events that they can 00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:44.779 know about. Those are the mistakes that these 00:22:44.779 --> 00:22:49.740 scoffers make in their arguments. They say, where 00:22:49.740 --> 00:22:53.519 is the promise of his coming? And they maintain 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:57.759 this. He says, when they maintain this, it escapes 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:00.779 their notice that certain things have happened 00:23:00.779 --> 00:23:05.799 in the history of the world. He's not coming. 00:23:07.339 --> 00:23:10.480 Where's the promise that God is going to judge? 00:23:11.059 --> 00:23:18.019 That Jesus Christ is coming again? Come on. It's 00:23:18.019 --> 00:23:22.880 never happened before. Things have always continued 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:28.700 just like they are now. Peter says, first of 00:23:28.700 --> 00:23:30.859 all, it escapes their notice that by the Word 00:23:30.859 --> 00:23:35.759 of God, the heavens existed long ago. Now again, 00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:38.299 I want you to note that it's not just that this 00:23:38.299 --> 00:23:40.279 somehow slips by them, but this is something 00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:46.359 they choose to deny. They willfully turn away 00:23:46.359 --> 00:23:50.900 from this idea that God created the heavens and 00:23:50.900 --> 00:23:57.259 the earth. And He created it by His Word. In 00:23:57.259 --> 00:24:00.519 fact, that is emphasized in the way Peter writes 00:24:00.519 --> 00:24:04.180 this. He says, by His Word, by the Word of God. 00:24:04.740 --> 00:24:08.660 The heavens existed long ago. And the earth was 00:24:08.660 --> 00:24:10.839 formed out of water and by water, which seems 00:24:10.839 --> 00:24:14.480 to be a reference to the dry land appearing in 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:21.359 Genesis chapter 1. Then in verse 6 he says, through 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:26.880 which the ancient world, the world of old, was 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:29.359 destroyed. We have to back up and ask, what does 00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:33.779 he mean by through which? It's plural, number 00:24:33.779 --> 00:24:36.849 one. So we have to go back and say, well, what 00:24:36.849 --> 00:24:39.450 could that refer to? And I think the best answer 00:24:39.450 --> 00:24:43.609 is he's saying, through his word and through 00:24:43.609 --> 00:24:50.269 water, the world of old was destroyed, being 00:24:50.269 --> 00:24:52.470 flooded with water. The clear reference here 00:24:52.470 --> 00:24:57.049 is to the Noahic flood. The second thing that 00:24:57.049 --> 00:25:00.890 the scoffers refused to admit to is that things 00:25:00.890 --> 00:25:06.829 have not always been like they are now. that 00:25:06.829 --> 00:25:10.750 God has previously intervened in human history 00:25:10.750 --> 00:25:14.630 and brought supernatural judgment to the human 00:25:14.630 --> 00:25:17.710 race. Of course, these people don't want to admit 00:25:17.710 --> 00:25:20.529 to that because they don't want a God who's going 00:25:20.529 --> 00:25:24.990 to intervene and bring judgment to them. He is 00:25:24.990 --> 00:25:28.009 talking here about a universal flood that is 00:25:28.009 --> 00:25:31.829 described in Genesis chapter 6, 7, 8, and 9. 00:25:34.029 --> 00:25:37.170 By the way, I mentioned this morning something 00:25:37.170 --> 00:25:39.829 I'd heard on the news in the last ten days that 00:25:39.829 --> 00:25:45.990 referred or tied in with all of this. And it 00:25:45.990 --> 00:25:51.069 wasn't a very clear report, but Channel 5, within 00:25:51.069 --> 00:25:54.569 the last ten days, had a story regarding some 00:25:54.569 --> 00:25:56.950 archaeologists whom they did not identify. I 00:25:56.950 --> 00:26:00.410 wish they had done that. But these archaeologists 00:26:00.410 --> 00:26:04.549 were saying that they have... concluded that 00:26:04.549 --> 00:26:10.410 they have now found the Ark on Mount Ararat and 00:26:10.410 --> 00:26:14.069 they were holding models of what they felt the 00:26:14.069 --> 00:26:17.309 Ark look like and held it up to the pictures 00:26:17.309 --> 00:26:20.529 of the formations on Mount Ararat and they were 00:26:20.529 --> 00:26:24.349 pointing out what they felt were the water reserve 00:26:24.349 --> 00:26:27.650 system on the Ark now turned on its side and 00:26:27.650 --> 00:26:32.730 another piece of the Ark that was torn away and 00:26:32.730 --> 00:26:34.809 laying in a different angle to the rest of the 00:26:34.809 --> 00:26:39.750 body. And whether these were Christian archaeologists 00:26:39.750 --> 00:26:43.170 or they were otherwise archaeologists, I don't 00:26:43.170 --> 00:26:47.210 know. They weren't identified. But Channel 5 00:26:47.210 --> 00:26:49.890 reported this, and I do remember this is ratings 00:26:49.890 --> 00:26:54.190 month. I'm aware of that. But they reported this 00:26:54.190 --> 00:26:57.250 as fact, which I thought was most interesting. 00:26:57.849 --> 00:27:01.559 There was no sense of scoffing. in the report, 00:27:02.140 --> 00:27:04.839 but they concluded the story by saying that these 00:27:04.839 --> 00:27:07.319 archaeologists expect next spring to go to this 00:27:07.319 --> 00:27:09.660 spot on Mount Ararat, which they can now gain 00:27:09.660 --> 00:27:12.720 access to because of the whole new political 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:15.359 system over there in that part of the world. 00:27:15.940 --> 00:27:18.980 And they expect to come back with definite proof, 00:27:19.500 --> 00:27:22.819 even pieces, of the Ark, most of which they say 00:27:22.819 --> 00:27:27.240 is now buried under 60 feet of ice. I thought 00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:30.609 that's very interesting. I mentioned that to 00:27:30.609 --> 00:27:33.609 a friend of mine and the response was, well what 00:27:33.609 --> 00:27:35.549 do you think that that will do for Christians? 00:27:37.829 --> 00:27:40.430 And my response was, well probably not a whole 00:27:40.430 --> 00:27:42.450 lot because we already believe what the Bible 00:27:42.450 --> 00:27:47.069 says. It may help some, it may encourage some, 00:27:47.349 --> 00:27:50.369 but what will it do to the world? I think that's 00:27:50.369 --> 00:27:52.910 the more interesting question. Let's assume for 00:27:52.910 --> 00:27:54.950 the moment that the report is correct and let's 00:27:54.950 --> 00:27:57.630 assume that they do bring back some of the ark. 00:27:58.490 --> 00:28:02.609 What's happening here? There's an interesting 00:28:02.609 --> 00:28:07.470 text in Matthew chapter 24 verses 37 through 00:28:07.470 --> 00:28:09.690 39. It might be worth our while just to look 00:28:09.690 --> 00:28:15.650 at it for a moment. This is the Sermon on the 00:28:15.650 --> 00:28:18.869 Mount I referred to earlier and Jesus has now 00:28:18.869 --> 00:28:23.720 given some of the signs pointing to The day of 00:28:23.720 --> 00:28:26.160 the Lord when he will return to the earth with 00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:28.799 judgment not for the church now, but later with 00:28:28.799 --> 00:28:33.019 judgment and to establish his kingdom And he 00:28:33.019 --> 00:28:36.740 says in verse 36 of that day an hour No one knows 00:28:36.740 --> 00:28:39.119 not even the angels of heaven nor the son, but 00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:43.259 the father alone For the coming of the Son of 00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:50.259 Man will be just like the days of Noah For as 00:28:50.259 --> 00:28:52.980 in those days which were before the flood they 00:28:52.980 --> 00:28:55.500 were eating and drinking they were marrying and 00:28:55.500 --> 00:28:59.559 giving and marriage until the day that Noah entered 00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:04.099 the ark and They did not understand until the 00:29:04.099 --> 00:29:07.220 flood came and took them all away So shall the 00:29:07.220 --> 00:29:13.140 coming of the Son of Man be? Jesus is obviously 00:29:13.140 --> 00:29:15.279 saying that there are characteristics of those 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:17.539 days before the flood that will characterize 00:29:17.539 --> 00:29:20.859 the end times But the point I'm drawing upon 00:29:20.859 --> 00:29:25.880 now is this. Wouldn't it be interesting if in 00:29:25.880 --> 00:29:29.880 these days, just prior to our Lord's coming again 00:29:29.880 --> 00:29:33.279 and his intervention in human history, suddenly, 00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:36.920 after thousands of years, the ark resurfaces. 00:29:39.019 --> 00:29:43.039 And there it exists on Mount Ararat as a testimony 00:29:43.420 --> 00:29:47.500 a physical testimony to the world that God has 00:29:47.500 --> 00:29:50.960 intervened before in human history, that there 00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:55.079 was a flood, that there was a judgment, how in 00:29:55.079 --> 00:29:57.559 the world are people going to respond to that? 00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:02.180 Quite honestly, I don't think it will bring a 00:30:02.180 --> 00:30:07.220 worldwide revival. I think what it will do is 00:30:07.220 --> 00:30:13.299 simply somehow turn up the heat on believers 00:30:13.299 --> 00:30:17.819 and result in greater mocking and scoffing. That's 00:30:17.819 --> 00:30:19.920 what I think the end result would be if that 00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:21.880 were to happen. Now, I'm not going to predict 00:30:21.880 --> 00:30:23.180 they're going to find the flood next spring. 00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:25.759 Don't go out of here and say that. Or find the 00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:29.500 ark, rather. I'm not saying that tonight. But 00:30:29.500 --> 00:30:32.420 I'm saying if they do, it's so interesting what 00:30:32.420 --> 00:30:35.299 Jesus said about it being like the days of Noah 00:30:35.299 --> 00:30:37.920 when there was an ark being built testifying 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:42.299 to judgment coming. If in these days God allows 00:30:42.299 --> 00:30:45.900 the archery surface again to testify that judgment 00:30:45.900 --> 00:30:51.799 is coming God has interrupted human history before 00:30:51.799 --> 00:30:57.599 and he's going to do it again Peter says The 00:30:57.599 --> 00:31:01.759 present heavens and earth system as it is now 00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:10.589 By his word are being reserved for fire not water, 00:31:11.210 --> 00:31:15.730 but for fire, kept for the day of judgment and 00:31:15.730 --> 00:31:18.650 destruction of ungodly men." Now, he's going 00:31:18.650 --> 00:31:22.109 to come back to that theme in verse 10, and we'll 00:31:22.109 --> 00:31:24.410 pick that up, Lord willing, next week and talk 00:31:24.410 --> 00:31:27.269 some more about that fire and what all of this 00:31:27.269 --> 00:31:32.009 may mean. But the point is, Peter's saying, look, 00:31:32.910 --> 00:31:36.029 God is going to intervene again. God is going 00:31:36.029 --> 00:31:38.630 to bring judgment. He did it once before in the 00:31:38.630 --> 00:31:42.430 flood. He is going to do it again, only this 00:31:42.430 --> 00:31:45.329 time it's not going to be water as his instrument 00:31:45.329 --> 00:31:50.170 of judgment. It's going to be fire. There may 00:31:50.170 --> 00:31:52.730 be some who would respond by saying, well, if 00:31:52.730 --> 00:31:55.650 this is going to happen, then why has it been 00:31:55.650 --> 00:32:01.789 so long? And so he begins now to tell us a third 00:32:01.789 --> 00:32:03.829 fact about the day of the Lord, and that is that 00:32:03.829 --> 00:32:09.839 the day of the Lord is postponed by him. He says, 00:32:10.059 --> 00:32:12.460 stop allowing it to escape your notice. Again, 00:32:12.460 --> 00:32:15.119 I point out that they were letting it get by. 00:32:15.859 --> 00:32:21.779 He says, don't let this fact escape. That God's 00:32:21.779 --> 00:32:25.859 clock is different than ours. Delay does not 00:32:25.859 --> 00:32:32.299 mean forgetfulness on God's part. We must not 00:32:32.299 --> 00:32:37.039 think that God has forgotten what he has said 00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:40.829 he is going to do. We must not become impatient 00:32:40.829 --> 00:32:48.910 with God. God is on His schedule, not ours. And 00:32:48.910 --> 00:32:53.670 God isn't in a hurry like we are. We think it's 00:32:53.670 --> 00:32:58.150 got to happen now. And if not now, at least this 00:32:58.150 --> 00:33:00.750 year, and if not this year, at least in my lifetime. 00:33:02.650 --> 00:33:07.559 But God is not constrained by any of that. God 00:33:07.559 --> 00:33:12.019 says, I have my clock. And the suggestion is 00:33:12.019 --> 00:33:14.140 here that God is postponing. Has God ever done 00:33:14.140 --> 00:33:16.640 that before? Yes. God is patient with sinners. 00:33:17.880 --> 00:33:23.079 He was in the days of Noah. We read that Noah 00:33:23.079 --> 00:33:28.920 was a preacher of righteousness in those days 00:33:28.920 --> 00:33:32.140 before the flood. That is, he proclaimed the 00:33:32.140 --> 00:33:34.960 righteousness of God and God's judgment upon 00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:43.140 sin. And God waited 120 years beyond the time 00:33:43.140 --> 00:33:46.579 that he announced judgment for sinners to repent. 00:33:47.079 --> 00:33:49.319 And during that time, the ark was being constructed 00:33:49.319 --> 00:33:54.380 and built and prepared. 120 years. God waited. 00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:59.000 God is patient with sinners. God is patient with 00:33:59.000 --> 00:34:02.839 sinners today. And the implication seems to be 00:34:02.839 --> 00:34:06.980 here that the day of the Lord has been postponed. 00:34:07.099 --> 00:34:11.300 as we would see it from our perspective. Why? 00:34:11.340 --> 00:34:16.119 Because God desires for all to be saved. The 00:34:16.119 --> 00:34:19.900 Lord's not slow, as some people think, but He's 00:34:19.900 --> 00:34:22.820 patient toward you, He says, not wishing for 00:34:22.820 --> 00:34:27.099 any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:32.199 When it says that God does not wish any to perish, 00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:35.079 it doesn't mean that God has decreed none will 00:34:35.079 --> 00:34:40.739 perish. That that is God's decretive will that 00:34:40.739 --> 00:34:44.159 none will perish because there will be many who 00:34:44.159 --> 00:34:49.900 will perish. But the NASV puts it, God is not 00:34:49.900 --> 00:34:52.820 wishing for any to perish. That is the feeling 00:34:52.820 --> 00:34:55.699 of God's heart. That is the wish of God's heart. 00:34:55.800 --> 00:34:57.340 You say, well, if that's what God wishes, why 00:34:57.340 --> 00:34:59.880 doesn't God decree that? You'll have to ask Him. 00:35:02.840 --> 00:35:05.119 But the fact is, God does not delight in the 00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:08.719 death of the wicked. But he has decreed that 00:35:08.719 --> 00:35:11.880 the wicked will be judged and will die, be punished 00:35:11.880 --> 00:35:15.920 in everlasting fire. But in light of what we've 00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:17.639 seen here tonight about the Day of the Lord, 00:35:17.739 --> 00:35:21.320 what should we count our responsibilities to 00:35:21.320 --> 00:35:24.139 be? In the first place, I would put it this way, 00:35:24.139 --> 00:35:28.300 we need to think right. We need to be careful 00:35:28.300 --> 00:35:31.440 that we don't buy into the wrong presuppositions 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:35.860 of the world in which we live. It's just all 00:35:35.860 --> 00:35:40.530 around us. The denial of God, the denial of God's 00:35:40.530 --> 00:35:43.409 intervention, the denial of the flood, the denial 00:35:43.409 --> 00:35:46.949 of creation. So much the world denies. And why? 00:35:46.989 --> 00:35:48.869 Because there's an intellectual decision that 00:35:48.869 --> 00:35:51.829 this is wrong, no. It's a moral choice. They 00:35:51.829 --> 00:35:55.949 want to follow after their lusts and enjoy sin 00:35:55.949 --> 00:36:03.429 without any threat of judgment. Because we expect 00:36:03.429 --> 00:36:05.550 the day of the Lord to come upon the earth, we 00:36:05.550 --> 00:36:10.219 need to think right. We need to make the knowledge 00:36:10.219 --> 00:36:13.519 of God the foundation upon which everything else 00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:17.920 is built in our lives. This is so important for 00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:22.480 those who are in school, who are learning under 00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:25.400 teachers, who have bought into the presuppositions 00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:29.760 that are prevalent in our age. Our young people 00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:34.340 need to be constantly reminded that the knowledge 00:36:34.340 --> 00:36:38.019 of God is the foundation for all other knowledge. 00:36:39.130 --> 00:36:41.530 That's one reason we're so committed here to 00:36:41.530 --> 00:36:45.349 Christian education, to children, to students, 00:36:45.489 --> 00:36:47.889 and to adults as well. The knowledge of God is 00:36:47.889 --> 00:36:50.650 the foundation of all other knowledge. We need 00:36:50.650 --> 00:36:54.250 to think right. Secondly, we need to live right. 00:36:54.809 --> 00:36:58.989 He goes on to say in verse 11, since these things 00:36:58.989 --> 00:37:01.389 are going to be destroyed, what sort of people 00:37:01.389 --> 00:37:06.610 ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? 00:37:07.820 --> 00:37:10.800 In verse 14, he says, Be diligent to be found 00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:15.500 by him in peace, spotless and blameless. There 00:37:15.500 --> 00:37:17.820 are ethical considerations we need to remember 00:37:17.820 --> 00:37:21.380 in our business life, in our relationships to 00:37:21.380 --> 00:37:26.480 other people, in our marriages and homes. We 00:37:26.480 --> 00:37:28.760 are to be people who are characterized by what 00:37:28.760 --> 00:37:33.420 he says is holy conduct. Take time to be holy. 00:37:33.519 --> 00:37:38.170 Speak oft with thy Lord. We sang earlier. holiness 00:37:38.170 --> 00:37:43.030 in conduct, living differently, by different 00:37:43.030 --> 00:37:46.349 standards than the world around us, and godliness. 00:37:46.429 --> 00:37:50.769 What's that? It's God -centeredness. Live right 00:37:50.769 --> 00:37:56.170 and finally speak right. Noah did. Back in chapter 00:37:56.170 --> 00:38:00.010 2 and verse 5, look what it says about him. God 00:38:00.010 --> 00:38:02.969 preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness. 00:38:03.599 --> 00:38:06.179 with seven others when he brought a flood upon 00:38:06.179 --> 00:38:08.420 the world of the ungodly. You and I are called 00:38:08.420 --> 00:38:11.300 to live in an exciting time. And in this day, 00:38:11.340 --> 00:38:17.280 the last days, in the days when we can see signs 00:38:17.280 --> 00:38:20.380 pointing toward the day of the Lord, we are to 00:38:20.380 --> 00:38:23.179 be a people who are speaking right and like Noah 00:38:23.179 --> 00:38:26.380 of old, we are to declare the righteousness of 00:38:26.380 --> 00:38:30.360 God. And we are to call people to be right with 00:38:30.360 --> 00:38:34.760 God. by repenting of sin and believing on the 00:38:34.760 --> 00:38:39.599 Lord Jesus Christ. So what are you looking for? 00:38:41.980 --> 00:38:44.000 Well, it's not time to be standing around looking 00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:47.340 up in the air looking at nothing. It's time for 00:38:47.340 --> 00:38:51.500 us to be looking for the coming of our Lord. 00:38:53.219 --> 00:38:55.800 A coming that will involve ultimately judgment 00:38:55.800 --> 00:38:59.650 upon the ungodly and their destruction. then 00:38:59.650 --> 00:39:02.550 the establishment of the kingdom of our Lord 00:39:02.550 --> 00:39:05.469 and Savior Jesus Christ. In light of that, we 00:39:05.469 --> 00:39:08.230 need to think right, we need to live right, we 00:39:08.230 --> 00:39:13.110 need to speak right as would please Him. Let's 00:39:13.110 --> 00:39:19.889 bow together. Fathers, we've been able to lay 00:39:19.889 --> 00:39:23.929 before ourselves tonight by way of reminder these 00:39:23.929 --> 00:39:27.869 truths about what to expect. Our desire is that 00:39:27.869 --> 00:39:32.329 the Holy Spirit will now cause us to depart with 00:39:32.329 --> 00:39:37.010 this anticipation and joy in our hearts. And 00:39:37.010 --> 00:39:41.510 may it make a difference, Lord. May it not simply 00:39:41.510 --> 00:39:46.469 excite our curiosity, but may it excite the way 00:39:46.469 --> 00:39:49.750 that we think, the way that we live, and the 00:39:49.750 --> 00:39:54.269 way that we speak to those around us. And may 00:39:54.269 --> 00:39:59.210 we live by faith, as did Noah. And may we find 00:39:59.210 --> 00:40:04.949 your approval as Noah did in those days before 00:40:04.949 --> 00:40:10.309 the flood. May we be preachers of righteousness. 00:40:12.570 --> 00:40:18.150 In Jesus' name, amen. In closing, I'd like for 00:40:18.150 --> 00:40:24.889 us to sing a verse of 463. This was requested 00:40:24.889 --> 00:40:28.550 last week by one of the young men in our church. 00:40:30.130 --> 00:40:32.250 And tonight it just kind of fits in with this 00:40:32.250 --> 00:40:34.329 theme of looking to the future that we've talked 00:40:34.329 --> 00:40:37.750 about. And so I'd like to sing it not only for 00:40:37.750 --> 00:40:41.869 him, and Micah knows who he is, but we'll sing 00:40:41.869 --> 00:40:44.570 it for ourselves because it expresses our own 00:40:44.570 --> 00:40:46.909 hope. I trust it's your hope and your confidence. 00:40:47.570 --> 00:40:50.369 When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. 00:40:51.030 --> 00:41:03.360 463, let's stand as we sing. When the trumpet 00:41:03.360 --> 00:41:06.980 of the Lord shall sound in times of need no more.