"11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells."
When you're a young kid, you don't really memorize your address with any sense that it will be the first of many. In fact, in most cases, as a kid, you simply think of it as "your address." However, for the majority of us, our childhood address is never intended to be permanent. And, if you stop and think about it, no permanent address on this earth is permanent. Even if you are blessed and end up raising your family in the house in which you grew up and were raised, after you die, that address will then belong to someone else.
Today, God wants to remind you beyond this life, you will have a permanent address, and it will be the last address you'll ever have. The question I have for you today, is do you know where you will spend eternity?
Let us pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, Thank You for Your Word for us today. Thank You for this blessed reminder that because we have placed our faith in Christ, and we have been baptized by the Spirit, that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Our hearts are overjoyed knowing that we’re headed for heaven. Lord, we pray for those who are headed for judgment, may today be the day that You would turn their hearts that they may come to Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. Father, we pray that today You will save many from the horrors of hell.
May those of us who know the truth, live in anticipation of Christ's glorious return, that we may dwell with Him in eternal glory, in Your presence. May it all be to Your glory and for Christ's sake.
In Christ's name we pray
Amen
Today's Message: Don’t Miss the Bus
If this world will one day be destroyed, along with everything in it when
Jesus come in all His glory, why do we work so hard at building our future inheritance here? When what we invest in is surely to be lost. The Bible warns us not to be taken by deceitfulness, because this great deception lures us into investing our hope in the world that will
be destroyed, so that we will neglect and even forfeit our future inheritance.
In Hebrews 12, the writer tells us, "Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness."
Verse 10 makes it clear, if we belong to God, He will chasten us when we stray. He doesn't chasten us for His profit, but for our good. God sees the end result and longs for us to inherit His promises. It is far better to suffer His correction in the present, than to miss out on His inheritance in the future. Bitterness and lust will turn our hearts from holiness, therefore, we are to pursue holiness and peace with all people, so we can be confident that we are walking in God’s grace.
If someone is pursuing the things of this world, and never feels convicted, they do not belong to God. Unfortunately, in our society today, may people do not like to think of God as a judge, even though the Bible repeatedly forewarns us that Christ will return to judge the unrighteous. Tragically, even many believers choose to disregard these warnings. Scriptures warning of judgment isn’t to make us feel guilty, but to direct us away from harm and toward the promises of God. Therefore, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and leads us toward repentance and a close walk with Him. We need to understand that there is a difference between guilt and conviction.
By believing in the false promises of Satan and the lust of the world, we cast aside both the promises and warnings of God. Whether we choose to hide from guilt or resist the conviction the Holy Spirit, it does not change the end
result. The commands of God are life to those who respond to His Word. The warning of the coming judgement is only harsh to those who choose to disregard them. For those who walk with God, the judgement has no power over those who take refuge in Christ.
Revelation 20:6 says "Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years."
Open your Bibles with me to II Peter chapter 3. In our ongoing study of this third chapter, we come to verses 11 through 13. Peter is very concerned that we as believers have a proper understanding and a proper response to the return of Jesus Christ. As he begins to move toward the close of this epistle, there are a few more words that are heavy on his heart. His final words are his faithful attempt to strengthen his brethren.
As he contemplates the words he has already written, he ponders where there might be a need for one further emphasis. He discovers that there is, and so he begins to pen what would become his final words. His final words begin in verse 11 and run through verse 18.
I
invite you to follow along with me as I read Peter's last words, to set the text in our
minds, as we prepare our hearts for a Word from our Lord. Listen for
what the Spirit of God is saying to each of us. II Peter 3:11-18.
"Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with
intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
I'd like you to notice that Peter uses the phrases "the day of God" in verse 12, and "the day of eternity" in verse 18, in both of these phrases, he refers to the eternal state. If you're longing for that glorious state, it had ought to have an impact on the way you live your life.
Today, it seems as though many Christians aren't longing for the day of the Lord. We’re not longing impatiently for Christ to come in furious final damning, destruction and judgment. The phrase "Since all these things are to be destroyed," clearly points us back to verse 10, which says "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up."
It also points us back to verse 7, which says "But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men."
It’s inevitable. We know it it's going to happen. so, Peter says in verse 11, since we know this is going to happen, "what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness." I'd like you to notice, that there’s no question mark here in verse 11. Though at first glance, it may appear to be a question, it doesn't expect an answer. It doesn’t actually ask a question at all. It's more of an exclamation. Peter is actually implying the level of excellence that you should be living. Rather than a question, it's a challenge to Christians to conform their lives to the reality of eternity.
In other words, if Jesus is coming to reward you, and to take you into the kingdom of eternal righteousness, to be with Him, then you ought to be living in the light of that. If this is what we have been saved for, then how we ought to live.
Paul says in II Corinthians 5:9-10, "Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
Beloved, we’re going to all stand before that judgment. Since we know that Christ will return in judgment, when we must give an account to God, we should be holy people, looking for and hastening that day. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you’re not living for this world. This is not our home. We belong to a heavenly place. What kind of people ought we be then?
In verse 11, Peter reminds us "What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness." By the way, holy conduct refers to action which rules my behavior; godliness refers to attitude, which rules my heart. What kind of person ought you to be?
You know, it always amazes me, when people are driving along, and then all of the sudden by the side of the road, they notice an officer with his radar gun out. They begin to feel that he’s just there, waiting just for you. Immediately, their heart skips a beat, their foot comes off the gas and they check their speed. Then, in your rear view mirror, we see those dreadful flashing lights, and our hearts sink! Why do we do this? Because the threat of potential judgment altered our immediate behavior.
What then would happen if Christians really believed that Christ is going to return? My guess is, we would definitely live a little better, we would be a little nicer, and a lot more happier. Beloved, that is exactly what the return of Christ is supposed to do for you and me! It is intended to alter our immediate behavior. The Second Coming is meant to radically change the way we live right now. This is Peter's last word. Verse 11 is the summary statement on which Peter expands upon in the remaining verses.
Tradition tells us, that Peter, feeling unworthy to be crucified like his Lord, pleaded to be crucified upside down, which he was. What should it be that characterizes us as followers of Jesus Christ?
In verse 12, Peter tells us we should be "looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!" Christ's literal return to the earth changes everything. The key word in this entire section is "look," It is the Greek verb "prosdokaó," which means to wait for, to anticipate, to expect. It describes an attitude of excitement. We should be excited about Christ's return! Knowing that everything in this world is going to be dissolved, we should not fix our hope on anything in this world, only on the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you will remember, in I Peter 1:13, Peter said to us "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Get your conduct right and your attitude right, with holy conduct and godliness, live in the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Live in the light of that unbelievable grace that is going to be bestowed upon you when Jesus is fully revealed in all His glory! Because, if you are genuinely trusting that Christ will return, it will alter the way you behave today.
In I Peter 1:14-15, he says "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior."
If we really believe what Scripture says, that Christ is going to return, we will live less like the world and more like Christ. By the way, this is to extend to all areas of life. We're going to live in the light of living for eternity. It will compel us to a level of holiness and godliness that is absolutely pervasive in life, in all matters. This is very important. If we're going to be with Him in eternity, we had ought to begin the process of living that way now! We should be living in expectation of that.
If you're living as you ought, you won't be afraid of it, you won't be worried about it, you'll be anticipating it. And, you're going to be dealing with some of the issues in your life. Because when you stop looking for your blessed hope, your heart toward Christ will begin to grow cold and your love for this world will increase. I'm afraid we see a lot of Christians who are living more for the world, than they are for Christ, today.
We need to come to grips that every material item on this planet, your home, your car, all your money, your computer, your possessions, your clothes, will all be burned. How foolish then it is that we live for this world? If we are living our life right, we have no shame because we have no unconfessed and repeated sin.
To give you a little preview, let's look at Revelation chapter 8. "The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up."
That is unimaginable to me.To think that a huge flaming ball of fire coming out of the sky and burn up a third of everything on the planet. And, that's only a preview of what is to come.
Then, in Revelation 20, "When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore."
Then, in verse 13, Peter moves from the warning to the promise. "But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells."
When we surrender our sins and every part of our lives to Him and He redeems us from the inside out. God transforms us by His power and His Spirit. Apart from God’s grace,
there is no transformation, there is no forgiveness and there is no way
to be holy. Our transformation begins at the cross. Allow me to point out, that we cannot continue to cling to our lives and still be submitting to God for redemption, there must first be surrender.
Believers who anticipate the Second Coming of Christ, will turn their focus from this temporal world to live for their eternal kingdom. Peter tells us there is a new world coming, one that he describes as "new heavens and a new earth," To be clear, Peter is using Old Testament language here to describe the new age that God will bring through Christ.
By the way, the "new heavens and a new earth" are mentioned in both Isaiah 65:17 and Isaiah 66:22, where people will live much longer lives and the lion will lie down peacefully with the lamb. This cannot be a reference to the eternal state, because at that time, people will not die at all. So, it has to be referring to millennial reign of Christ on earth. The millennial reign of Christ, is a preview of what is to come in the eternal state, when all of God’s promises will have been fulfilled. Just imagine a life, in which it is impossible for sin to mess things up! If that doesn't whet your appetite for going to heaven, nothing will.
However, God will never force you to choose to love Him and live for Him, it must be a free choice out of our love for God. It is not a one-time act, but a life long process of dying to self daily and living for Him, in light of Christ's glorious return.
In Closing..
Beloved, Jesus Christ is coming back! We may not know when, but we do know it's going to happen. And, when it does, it will happen suddenly and unexpectedly. That's why we must use this time to make sure that our life is clean and ready for His coming!
When God’s day arrives, the final destruction has taken place. Man’s day is over. The corruption of the universe and the fallen angels is finally going to judged. And, after the holocaust of fire, paradise is going to be regained. That's what we're looking for, that is His promise!
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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