In this final sermon from the 2 Peter series, Pastor Mark preaches from 2 Peter 3 where, nearing the end of his life, Peter tells the people to stay steadfast in their faith, keep telling others about Jesus, and to keep their Bibles and their hearts open.
Die with Your Boots On: 2 Peter 3:1-18 (Week 4)
– A dad was dying, & spent his final weeks/months preparing
– Home projects, passwords, bills, finances, flowers
– Healthy people near the end spend their energy to love those they care about
– Peter now old man, lived an amazing life, death on the horizon (2 Pt 1:12-15)
– 1. Tripped early 2. stumbled some in the middle 3. finishing his race well
– Peter won’t be there to answer questions or help out
– Christians need authority & clarity = point them to Scripture
– A Pastor has 2 families to take care of – physical & spiritual
God Loves You, even if the World Hates You
2 Peter 3:1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
Beloved
- connect before you correct
Bible (Ch 1 & Ch 3; Ch 2 False Teachers)
-2 Ptr 3:1 “second letter”
-2 Ptr 3:2 “the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles”
· Stirring up vs Scoffers
· People believe what leader believes, & get excited about what they’re excited about
· XN meet together to keep fanning the flame faith
=Explains personal trainers, life coaches, political rallies, and peaceful marches
Harvest Time Continues Until Judgment Time
2 Peter 3:4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
1). Creation by Word of God
- Genesis 1 “God said” 10X, “God saw” 7X = God preached creation into existence
Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
2). New Creation by Word of God
- Looking forward (seems slow) VS Looking backward (seems fast)
- Slowness (we want to leave) VS Patience (we want to take others with us!)
Ex 34:6-7 “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty”
We are in the middle and can 1. Scoff or 2. Stir Up
Case Study #1
· Judgment by water – God waited 1600+ yrs Adam-Noah & brought a new world
Case Study #2
· Judgment by fire (God has waited 2000+ yrs, Jesus returns & evangelism is over
· We are in the Middle Between Creation & New Creation
What Comes Next?
New Heaven, New Earth, New Jerusalem = New Creation
- former burned up like wildfires
Isa. 65:17 I create new heavens, and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
Rev 21:1-2 I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God
=We need Creation care. But, this world will expire & be replaced w/perfection
=When you get to Kingdom, everything is God made & gifted to us
=Harvest time (evangelism fall), burn fields (judgment winter), new world (spring)
Keep Your Bible and Your Heart Open
2 Peter 3:11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 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.
1. Believe you are beloved
- Jesus @ baptism (2 Peter 1:17)
- Paul (2 Peter 3:15)
- Christians – 6X (1 Peter 2:11, 4:12; 2 Peter 3:1, 3:8, 3:14, 3:17)
2. Cultivate Christlike character (holiness, godliness, righteousness)
3. Study the Scriptures (do “not get carried away VS do “grow in grace & knowledge”)
Paul – writes Scripture (13 or 14 of 27 NT books)
Canon “measuring rod” (like a tape measure, what makes the cut)
-Damasine Council of Rome A.D. 332, and 3rd Council of Carthage A.D. 397 stated the canon -Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria 367 Easter letter, Councils (Laodicea AD 363); Hippo (AD 393); Carthage (AD 397); Trent (AD 1500’s)
JI Packer “The Church no more gave us the New Testament canon than Sir Isaac Newton gave us the force of gravity. God gave us gravity, by His work of creation, and similarly He gave us the New Testament canon, by inspiring the individual books that make it up.”
Peter – w/Jesus 3 years, now old, wrote 2 books Bible, still stumped
- You can know the Bible truly, but never fully
- We start Romans Sept. 12-13