Series: 2 Peter
Title: According to his Promise
Text: 2 Peter 3: 10-18
Date: October 21, 2012
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
2 Peter 3: 10: But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a
great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and
the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11: Seeing then that all these
things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy
conversation and godliness, 12: Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the
day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13: Nevertheless we, ACCORING TO HIS
PROMISE, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14: Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that
ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15: And account
that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;… 17: Ye therefore,
beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led
away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18: But
grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To
him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Title: According to his Promise
Proposition: God does everything according to his promise. And we grow in grace by diligently seeking to
know more of Christ Jesus. We have
received grace from Christ for grace, to seek more grace. What are diligently seeking?
Now, everything
God does he does according to his promise by his word.
·
V5:…by the word of God the heavens were of
old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
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V6: Whereby (by the word of God) the world
that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
·
V7:…the heavens and earth, which are, now, by
the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment
and perdition of ungodly men.
·
V9: The Lord is not slack concerning HIS
PROMISE, as some men count slackness; Christ the Word has come and justified
the elect. God is not willing that one
shall perish. Therefore, all shall come to repentance by the power and grace of
God. But though Christ has not come yet,
make no mistake…
2 Peter 3: 10: But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a
great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also
and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
I. ACCORDING TO GOD’S PROMISE—the day of the
Lord will come…
Not one
word God has spoken has gone unfulfilled.
Not one shall. The Lord WILL come
again. It will cme unexpectedly—as a thief in the night.
Are you
ready for the Lord’s return? Not knowing
the day ought to make us be continually giving ourselves to prepare right now
to meet Christ upon his return—this is the day of salvation.
The
majority in this world are in darkness—in the night. This world is telling you to chase your
dreams. Jane Bonar wrote, “Farewell ye
dreams of night, lost in this dawning bright.”
If we accomplished all our dreams in this world they will eventually
prove as worthless as dreams of night.
For nothing
you see here will remain as it is now—v10: THE
HEAVENS shall pass away with a great noise, and THE ELEMENTS [sun, moon,
stars] shall melt with fervent heat,
THE EARTH ALSO and THE WORKS THAT ARE
THEREIN shall be burned up.
Everything
which man has constructed shall perish. All
the riches, the architecture, the most lasting monuments, all the mansions, all things worldly men
are feverishly working themselves to death to get—all shall melt with a fervent
heat. Now this is the promise of God. All
who do not believe on Christ shall perish in that day. Christ shall come…
2 Thessalonians 1: 8: In flaming fire taking vengeance on
them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
God tells us to:
Isaiah
46: 9: Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else;
I am God, and there is none like me,
So remember
the former things of old. God has not left us in the dark concerning what he
will do. God destroyed the world in
Noah’s day. In 70AD God burned up
Jerusalem using the Romans. He is telling us when he returns it shall be
worse—all shall melt with a fervent heat.
Isaiah
46: 10: Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my
pleasure:
II. THEN WHAT WOULD
WE BE WISE TO DO? BELIEVE GOD AND HEED HIS INSTRUCTION TO US.
2 Peter 3: 11: Seeing then that all these
things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy
conversation and godliness, 12: Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the
day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat?
We who
have been set apart by the grace of God are sanctified by our Father’s divine
election, sanctified by the blood of Christ our Redeemer, sanctified by the
Spirit of God.
Therefore,
we ought NOT to be as the scoffers who hate our gospel and mock this promise of
Christ’s return. Scoffers think because
judgment is not executed speedily that it will not come but it shall.
We ought
NOT to be indifferent to this promise of our Lord as many who profess Christ
are.
We ought
NOT to be conformed to this present world, seeking what men of this world are
seeking. Knowing the flood was coming,
Noah was the reverse of the worldly men all around him. Noah worked on the ark everyday—that is a
picture of a believer diligently seeking to grow in grace and in the knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember:
in Christ believer, you are complete: justified, sanctified, and
righteous. There is therefore now no
condemnation to them that are in Christ, born of the Holy Spirit. But we certainly have room to grow in grace. Christ has given us grace FOR grace. We have been called to be: men and women of
holy conduct and godliness.
Holy conversation—means to be separated from the world to the service of
God.
Philippians 1:27: Only let your conversation be as it
becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be
absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one
mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;…holding forth the word of
life.
Hebrews 13:5: Let your conversation be without
covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear
what man shall do unto me.
Application: Brethren, our old fleshly nature is a covetous
nature. It is so easy for us to get
caught up in wanting a bigger piece of this world. We think that will make us more secure and
make us more useful.
But our
security is Christ in whom and to whom we have been separated. Our usefulness
will come as we faithfully use these spiritual riches he has already given us
to seek more of his grace. If we cover
these riches in a napkin and sow to the earth, to the flesh—we shall of the
flesh reap corruption. But if we sow to
the spirit we shall reap life everlasting.
1 Peter 1: 13: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind,
be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ; 14: As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves
according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15: But as he which hath
called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16: Because it
is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17: And if ye call on the Father, who
without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time
of your sojourning here in fear: 18: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19: But with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20: Who verily
was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these
last times for you, 21: Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from
the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
Godliness is
what Peter instructed us to give diligence to pursue at the first of the
epistle.
2 Peter 1: 5: And beside this, giving all diligence, add
to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6: And to knowledge temperance;
and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7: And to godliness
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8: For if these things
be in you, and abound, THEY MAKE YOU that ye shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful [where are they found] in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Application: What do we find ourselves diligently pursuing most, this
world’s promotion or are we seeking to grow in grace in the knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ
1 Timothy 6: 6: But godliness with contentment is great
gain. 7: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry
nothing out. [remember everything in this earth shall soon be dissolved] 8: And
having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9: But they that will be
rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts,
which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10: For the love of money is the
root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the
faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11: But thou, O man of
God, FLEE THESE THINGS; and FOLLOW AFTER righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, meekness.
Application: God is so longsuffering with his children, so merciful
to forgive us our sins-far more so than we are with our own children. Because we are so slow to believe God and
follow what he has spoken. We flee TO that
which God says flee FROM and what God says diligently FOLLOW AFTER we seek a
whole lot less than the other. We really
think that we might miss out on something in this world if we simply give
ourselves to grow in grace. But God says
that if we simply believe him and walk according to his word he shall protect
us AND hold nothing back from us. Do you
believe God?
Psalm 84:11: For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the
LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that
walk uprightly.
2 Peter 3: 12: LOOKING FOR and HASTING UNTO [desiring earnestly]
the coming of the day of God,…
Remember
what we saw Thursday night? We do not
know the exact hour. But we know what watch in the night—this is the last watch
of the night—in these last days—he is returning.
Matthew 25: 42: Watch therefore: for ye know not what
HOUR your Lord doth come. 43: But know this, that if the goodman of the house
had known in what WATCH the thief would come, he would have watched, and would
not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44: Therefore be ye also ready:
for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
III. WE WATCH AND EARNESTLY DESIRE THE LORD’S
RETURN FOR THIS REASON: V12: the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13: Nevertheless we, ACCORDING TO HIS
PROMISE, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Everyone
and everything in the new heavens and new earth will be the new creation of God—all
righteous—by his grace: born of the Spirit of God—created a new in righteousness
and true holiness, robed in the righteousness of Christ, our bodies raised
immortal, incorruptible and without sin.
Revelation 21:27: And there shall in no wise enter into
it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a
lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
There
is nothing in this world now that will not be burned up. Nothing in this world worthy to be compared
with that world. Try to imagine it as I read this to you.
Revelation 22: 3: And there shall be no more curse:
but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall
serve him: 4: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their
foreheads. 5: And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle,
neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall
reign for ever and ever.
Brother Scott Richardson,
“We understand more about what heaven is and will be to us, by what it is not,
and will not be.”
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There’ll be no more sin.
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No more darkness.
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No more pain.
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No more sorrow.
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No more jail.
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No more crying.
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No more war.
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No more sickness.
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No more heartache
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No more dying in a ditch.
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No more fear
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No more confusion.
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No more lacking anything
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No more vanity.
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No more waiting.
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No more going astray.
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No more reproach.
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No more affliction.
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No more darkness.
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No more trouble.
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No more curse.
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No more dishonoring God.
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Our name will no more be called Jacob.
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We’ll be the children of the Living God.
·
“and no more birthdays!”
2 Peter 3: 14: Wherefore, beloved, seeing
that ye look for such things, BE DILIGENT…
Illustration: In a crowded place with your children, are
you diligent to keep an eye on your children?
Because they are most precious to you.
We are diligent over that which is most precious to us.
Be diligent that ye may be found of him [or
in him]
Philippians 3: 8:…I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9: And be found in him, not
having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through
the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:…14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15: Let us therefore, as many as be
perfect, BE THUS MINDED: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall
reveal even this unto you. 16: Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained,
let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 17: Brethren, be
followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an
ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I
have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies
of the cross of Christ:19 Whose end is
destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, WHO
MIND EARTHLY THINGS.) 20 For our
conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ: 21: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to
subdue all things unto himself. 4: 1: Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and
longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
2 Peter 3: 14: Be dilgent to be found of
Christ in peace…
The
world disturbs our peace—Christ does not give us peace as this world gives
it—to have the peace the world gives, carnal security, means forsaking the
peace Christ gives. We can’t have both. Fighting
for the world makes us live by the sword rather than being Peacemakers. The
pressures of the world makes us fallout even with our brethren—we become
envious of those who are at peace, and walking by faith, who are content. Let
nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but without murmurings and
disputings. So be diligent to seek the
peace that only Christ gives—my peace I give unto you, not as the world
gives—peace in believing.
2 Peter 3: 14: Be diligent to be found of him
without spot and blameless.
In
Christ we are without spot and blameless: washed in his blood. He will present his bride to himself a
glorious church, without spot or wrinkle.
And before the presence of his Father’s glory, faultless, with exceeding
joy. BUT REMEMBER HOW JAMES TOLD US WE
STAY UNSPOTTED.
James 1: 27: Pure religion and undefiled before God and
the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and
to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Illustration: The prodigal ran off into the world and ended up eating
with the pigs. If we seek to live like
swine, if we crawl into the hog pen to feed on the hog slop with swine, we are
sure to get muddy! We may prove our
profession was in word only.
Revelation 16:15
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his
garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
2 Peter 3: 15: And account that the
longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
All the
elect of God—the usward—for whom Christ obtained eternal redemption shall be
taught of God. All shall come unto
Christ through faith. None shall be
lost—that is all we are waiting on.
At the
job, do you ever think, that person in the next cubicle, or who just walked up
to the counter—that might be the last elect child of God? If they are they will be called out. But wouldn’t it be a shame, if I had my mind
so set on my worldly business, if my peace in Christ was so disrupted because I
been looking for peace elsewhere, that I was not fit to be used of God to speak
the gospel to them. Our diligence to grow in grace is that we might be used of
God for this chief purpose.
2 Peter 3:
17: Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye
know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of
the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10: 35: Cast not away therefore your confidence,
which hath great recompence of reward. 36: For ye have need of patience, that,
after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37: For yet a
little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
To him be glory
both now and for ever.
Amen.