Please turn in the Scriptures this evening to 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3. We will read the entirety of the chapter. The text will be verses 1 through 15, the first part of verse 15. 2 Peter 3. Beginning at verse 1. Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, where is this coming He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. But they deliberately forget that long ago, by God's Word, the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also, the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same Word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends. With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar. The elements will be destroyed by fire and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. The day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire and the elements will meld into heat. But in keeping with His promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort as they do the other Scriptures to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard, so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, both now and forevermore. Amen. Lessons of the reading of God's Word. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, it was 5 a.m. April 18, 1906 in San Francisco. Some were still sleeping. Others had started their day. It was a regular day in California. Nothing special. Businesses were going to be opened in a few hours. Events would go on as they always had. Children would be heading off to school. Fathers would be heading off to work. People would be about their daily business. But little did they know that in ten minutes, that over 700 people in the city would be dead and many more in the surrounding region would also face death. Businesses would be ravished. Fire would tear through the streets. And the economy in just one minute would be completely destroyed. The biggest earthquake ever in U.S. history hit San Francisco that morning the quake was felt from Oregon to South L.A. all the way into Nevada. In one minute, people's lives were completely turned upside down if not destroyed. Well, this evening I want to talk to you about an event that when it occurs will not only affect a region but will affect the entirety of the whole world. And like the earthquake in San Francisco, no one knows when this event will happen. People will be carrying on with their lives When it occurs, it will be daily business, just as usual, right up until the end. And when this event does happen, it will affect the entire world for everyone will see it. And there will be a complete renewal and recreation of the earth as we know it, and it will usher for eternity. Most of you know what I'm referring to, of course. I'm referring to the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. His coming has been prophesied for over 2,000 years, and his complacency and his worldly life seems to plague not only the world but those in the church, our passage this evening demonstrates to us that our Lord's coming is at hand. The world is again ripe for His judgment. So this evening, we briefly want to consider first, scoffers will come prior to Christ's second coming. Secondly, that He gives us a comparison to the days of Noah. And thirdly, the longsuffering of our Lord and the final destruction that will take place on the day of the Lord. Now, Peter's two epistles were written to Christians who were facing great persecution and distress for the name of Jesus Christ. In chapter 3, Peter begins by way of reminder to stir up their minds to remember the words that were spoken of by the holy prophets. He knows well of this ever-present danger for Christians to become complacent, sluggish in their expectation of Christ's second coming. And this epistle is given to awaken them out of their sluggishness. John Calvin rightly observed about this text, unless the church is stirred by constant warnings, we become drowsy. See, Peter just got done warning them in chapter 2 of false teachers who were causing great affliction to them. We can't get away from the fact here that this was taking place in the visible church. This is Peter's emphasis. Listen to a few verses in chapter 2. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you. They are forsaken the right way and gone astray. Verse 21. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having to know it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. And so first and foremost, notice this apostasy is coming and will come from amongst them, from amongst the visible church. And it seems that Peter is very concerned about the influence that these false teachers were having on the true believers in Jesus Christ. He reminds them of what he wrote in the first epistle of the commandment of the apostles, but also with the words of the holy prophets. And if you remember, one of the main roles of the prophets was to administer covenant lawsuits to a people of God who were going apostate. Those who were purporting and implementing false doctrines within the covenant community. There was always a call of the prophets, Turn, turn from your evil ways, the house of Israel. And so Peter, throughout the letter, is constantly reminding these Christians that even though they are established in truth to make their calling and election sure. In light of these troublers that are coming in amongst them, once more he uses this phrase to stir up through remembrance. Stir up. So that they might remain obedient to God's commands to live holy lives before Him. Why? Because the time is at hand. And of course, this message is as relevant, if not more, for us living in the year 2003. So what we first notice is that scoffers will come in the last days, verses 1 through 4. Notice at verse 3. First of all, you must understand that in the last days, scoffers will come scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, where is this coming He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. You see, Peter had just warned them about these destructive heresies, but now he's pointing to the ultimate attack. These scoffers will come who will blatantly attack the truth and credibility of Christianity. They will strike at our main hope, the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will attack the church's only hope as it trusts in the second coming of Christ. For if the second coming is taken away, there is no general resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15 makes it clear that we will receive our newly resurrected bodies at Christ's second coming. The coming of Christ is the hope of the church. And if this is taken away, our hope is gone. It robs us of the very thing we're eagerly waiting for. There's no gospel. There's no second return. And this is Satan's greatest attack on the church. Notice, we notice that Peter is referring here to this period generally called the last days. And of course the period encompasses from Pentecost to the end of the world. There is no doubt that the Christians of Peter's day would have looked and expected Christ to return due to the mockers that were surrounding them as they were being greatly persecuted for the faith. We note the apostles expected to see it. And Peter in his first epistle said, but the end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers. So what we first notice here is that the New Testament maintains an imminent focus on the return of Christ to keep the true believer from becoming complacent here on earth. It's no wonder he constantly says, I want to stir up your minds by way of reminder. On different periods of church history, there have always been scoffers who have attacked the historicity and the credibility of Christianity. Congregation, we hear this all the time from the pagan world. I think of a few. Maybe Joseph Stalin in his day who says, you know, they're all fooling us. There is no God. Or somebody like in our day, Ted Turner. Christianity is for losers. Now this is bad enough from the world. But we expect that. It's godless. But Peter's emphasis is upon those who are amongst them. How much worse is it when it comes from Christ's church? Jesus had to warn in Matthew 24 that we looked at this morning in Sunday school, don't be deceived about these many false prophets that are going to rise up. He warned about that. The Apostle Paul faced them even during the apostolic era. He told the Ephesians that they would rise up from amongst them. The majority of 2 Thessalonians 2 is dealing with the problem of some scoffers going around in the church troubling the Thessalonians with the lie that Christ had already come and that they had missed it. And he wrote in that letter, he wrote, I do not want you to become soon shaken in mind or troubled as though the day of Christ had come. Some group was going around saying that it had. And how interesting it is that Peter is writing here of the same problem. There will be these scoffers that will come in amongst them in some way or another denying that there will be a second coming. I think we tend to read this, something like this, and ask, are we hearing these scoffers and mockers in our day? Are they saying these things today? But see, Peter is giving us signs that characterize the entirety of the New Testament age. And what we see here, and in other places of Scripture, is that one of the chief attacks on Christ's church is an attack on the doctrine of the second return. It doesn't take long to look down the timeline of church history to see how this doctrine has been abused. With all the predictions and falsehood that has attacked our marvelous hope, we quickly notice that this doctrine is a playground of Satan himself. But what we have to maintain is the emphasis given to us in the Scriptures. And you see, every time we have this sort of revelation given to us, the intent of the Scriptures, the intent of God, is to provide protection, hope, and comfort for you, beloved. So that you would not be displayed, or would not lose sight and be assured of your position in Christ when He comes. That you would not be left in darkness about what will transpire. That's always the purpose of this revelation. And yet in our day, it has become a doctrine of tremendous fear and uneasiness. And so Peter, out of great care, warns them about these scoffers who will strike out against God and walk in their own lust. They mock sin. They mock salvation offered in Christ. They live in outward disobedience. And they scorn His commands. And most of all, they mock God's people. Some outwardly scoff, and some are de facto silent scoffers, meaning that by the way they live, they follow their own desires and do not obey God's commands. It mocks everything of what God stands for. The desires of the flesh rule them, whether it's sexual morality, fraud, hatred, and the like. By their actions, they scoff at God. How heartbreaking it is when we see these things taking place in His own church. I'm sure if I had the ability to go around and ask some of our seniors this evening, they would be able to testify to the great decline in the church from just 30 years ago. How absolutely shocking it is to see the things that are taking place. We've witnessed it on the news in the last months, especially with the homosexual agenda. It's no wonder Peter can say they will walk according to their own lust. Christians, can you discern the sign of the times? Can you see that the end of all things is at hand and yet many today inside and outside of the church scoff and mock at God? But the question is why? Why do they mock God? In verse 4 they say, ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. And their thinking follows these lines. nothing has changed, they say. Generation after generation goes by. The world is still thriving and going on. Business is strong. People are making lots of money. The world is developing and becoming more innovative each day. And look how far we've come in 2,000 years. It can only get better, they say. Medicines are getting better with the ultimate goal, of course, of preventing death. People are living longer. The quality of life is much better as each year passes by, and even today, they're saying we can clone human beings. And our real discomfort, they say, is the church, who for over 2,000 years has been talking about this thing called judgment. These Christians have claimed that sin is going to be punished by God Himself in a terrible place called hell, and yet things go on as they always have. As far back as I can remember, this has never happened, they say. Where is the sign of His coming? They say, in congregation, how easy it is, even for the true believers in Jesus Christ, easy to live a life never really believing. And He's going to come again. How often do we hear in our prayers, even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Jesus criticized the people of His day with the same type of thinking, saying, Hypocrites, you know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the sign of the times. Here the incarnate God stood right in front of them, and they could discern what the weather would be like rather than knowing that the kingdom of God had come upon them. It has been 2,000 years since Christ said that. The world has grown terribly hostile to God. A call to repentance and change, a reminder of Christ's coming for judgment, is scarcely taught or even found in the church of our day. And today, Christianity as a whole is divided on the issue of Christ's second return. Some tell us that Christ already returned in the year A.D. 70. And all of this is already fulfilled. This is a heresy known as preterism. Others tell us we won't even be here to worry about any of this, since we will be removed by a pre-tribulational rapture of the church. But, beloved, Peter doesn't see it that way. In fact, he provides us with a model of what is exactly going to take place just before, prior to Christ's return. So, secondly, what we notice is that Peter compares the second coming of Christ to the days of Noah. Listen to verses 5 and 6. But they deliberately forget that long ago, by God's word, the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. What point is Peter trying to make with this example? What he's saying here is he's pointing back to the days of Noah and the flood that is destroyed. The entire world. This isn't the only place in the New Testament this is referred to. Christ said, As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. And they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. This is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. See, these New Testament accounts are telling us something. They're telling us that a proper understanding of what will happen before the coming day of the Lord is best understood by what took place in the period immediately preceding the flood. It's a picture of the end for us. Well, what happened in Noah's day? First notice that Peter divides human existence into two worlds. The world that then was and the world that now is. And after God flooded the world that then was, the world that now is has entered in. a picture of the recreation of the world. But the question that we're faced with is why did the Lord flood the world that then was? Well, we know that just prior to the flood there was a great population explosion. It says in Genesis 6-1 that men were multiplying on the face of the earth and with this great population explosion came more wickedness. With more people, more wickedness was found. People began boasting against God. Figures such as Lamech, who boasted against God's provision for an orderly society. He had murdered a man and boasted against God for it. And we read in Genesis that, and so it says, The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that the intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. So the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I've created on the earth. The earth had become filled with violence and wickedness, and God destroyed that generation by the same waters that had been originally separated at creation for their own well-being. The waters became a means of their destruction. And so Peter points out that these scoffers of our day are willfully ignorant of the dreadful vengeance that God poured out on the ungodly world that then was. The reality of what he is speaking of has already occurred and we have a clear example of that. It happened when they least expected it. Even today, one of the great mockeries is against. How does this seem today? One of the great mockeries is against the covenant sign that God would never flood the world again. How so? Most every person knows that the rainbow is God's promise that He will never flood the world again. But they willfully ignore the reason for the flood. And many today have mocked God's covenantal promise symbol by making the rainbow a sign of accepted homosexuality. Scoffers in the last days. So what does Peter say? By the same word, the present heavens and earth are literally being stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. Today the world is 6 billion people. Say at this rate, the population is doubling every 40 years, never have been multiplied more on the face of the earth than what we're seeing today. And with this population surge, rebellion against God is growing stronger and stronger. Scoffers are filling the earth. And as in the days of Noah, The world is ripe again for God's judgment. And the heavens and the earth that now are by the same Word that formed them are reserved for fire against the day of judgment and perdition of these ungodly men. And although judgment seems to be delayed as the wicked continue, we read here that the Lord upholds this world by His Word that's being reserved for vengeance. The question still remains, why? Why does the Lord allow this mocking and wickedness to take place? Why does He allow these oppressors to continue in their hatred and mocking of God and His people? Why does God allow false prophets to continue to torment His church? History has given us many martyrs, hasn't it? People burned at the stake, and that just doesn't seem fair. Why? Beloved, consider His mercy. Consider His mercy. In verses 8 and 9, But do not forget one thing, dear friends, that with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Peter sets forth the reason why God has not returned yet. Our time is not God's time. From our perspective, the difference between a day, one day, and a thousand years is great, but not with God. All things past, present, and future are set before Him, and a delay of over a thousand years is like a day in His sight. What seems long to us is irrelevant to Him. But the main reason for this, He's long-suffering towards us. He is not slow in giving you the promise, beloved. What is that promise eternal life? He's not slow in giving it to us, although it may seem like that's slow in coming, doesn't it? As believers, you have been given all things in Him. Christ has shed His blood for you. No one can snatch you from His hand. He says you have all things. But consider how long-suffering our God is. He is giving us more time to advance in knowledge and holiness, to exercise faith, to abound in good works, to fulfill the tasks that He has given us to do. Isn't that amazing? But most of all, verse 15, tells us to bear in mind that the Lord's patience means salvation. He is still planting and building His church. Imagine that lost soul out there this very moment in which the Lord's patience right now will mean salvation for Him. We know from Matthew 24 that we are told that all of the elect must come in and then the end will come. And if the end has not yet come, that means that God is still harvesting. Isn't that beautiful? But there's another focus here. We know that the whole world is called to repentance. The church is to call everyone on to repentance and belief, the context is that now is a time of mercy. Even as these mockers are called to repent and believe. Just as Noah was a preacher of righteousness to the wicked people of his day, to the world that then was, remember, it took a period of time to build the ark. A period in which the world that then was, was called to repentance. And God is using the church today to say the same thing now. Turn! Turn from your evil ways, for why should you die and perish? And see, now is a time of mercy for people to turn from their sins, but that day, beloved, is rapidly coming to an end. Noah and his family were left there until the end, until the final judgment of the world, Because he was a preacher of righteousness to those people. That's why we're going to stay here. Obviously, beseeching them to turn from their ways. Likewise, in our day, we are called to call these mockers to repentance. For the day of judgment will come when no one expects it. See, the gospel is so very clear here. It's so very clear because there's one more aspect about the days of Noah that Peter considers. We read in chapter 2, verse 5, And God did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly. You see, beloved, Noah and his family had a covering, didn't they? They had a covering. They had the ark as a means of salvation and they wrote on the floodwaters of the wrath of the Almighty God and likewise we are not appointed to judgment but to salvation. And just like Noah who was hid in the ark, Noah and his family hid in that picture of salvation, so also on judgment day you believers in Christ will be hid in the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. In His arms. And when that happens, what will be left? Verse 10, the day of the Lord will come as a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar. The elements will be destroyed by fire and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. The analogy that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night means that it will come when nobody expects it. Listen to 1 Thessalonians 5. Now brothers, about the times and dates we do not need to write to you. For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Interesting. While people are saying peace and safety, the mockers of our text, destruction will come on them suddenly. In verse 4, But you are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you. Comfort. Comfort. But notice we're still here. We're still here right up until the last day when the day of the Lord comes. That's it. As Noah was shut up into the ark and the rain began to fall and to fall and it fell and it fell till it consumed the people of the world that then was so also those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ will be hid in Him, in His righteousness. But the unbelieving scoffers, we read, will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. What will happen to this world? The heavens and the earth as we know it will be cleansed, recreated, made whole by fire, purified. Everything we know it will be laid bare and there will be a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. But you see, Peter uses this truth. He uses this truth to have the people of God consider the greatness of what they have. They've been established in the truth and to consider how they're living before Him. Imagine these mockers of the text. And in our day, imagine these silent mockers never anticipating the coming day of the Lord. And all of a sudden, there comes the very One whom they spent their entire life rejecting, coming down on the clouds of heaven in judgment. I thought, for it says in Revelation 6 that on that day they will want the rocks to hide them. So Peter uses this. He says, calling believers to live lives worthy of your calling. You have been established in truth. You have been given the gospel. And beloved, we are not of those who shrink back. We are not of those who shrink back, but believe to the saving of the soul. You have been told about this. You have not been left in darkness. You have been warned about His coming. And most of all, you have been redeemed. and washed in His blood. What a reason to walk circumspectly through a life that God calls a mist, a vapor, in which we are called in the short time to walk according to His will. What kind of people ought you to be, says Peter in verse 11? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look for and hasten for the coming day of God. Do you? Are you prepared to be with God? See, we have no guarantee of tomorrow. We are told to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him. For death can come at any hour. And His coming, of course, will be as a thief in the night. Are you at peace with God? Are you prepared for His coming? But in keeping with this promise, We look forward to a new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. The new heavens and the new earth where righteousness dwells. A place without sin, death, mockery of God. A place where our Savior is. A place that the Apostle Paul couldn't even explain with words. That's what we look for. Congregation of the Lord, are you ready for eternity? Are you ready for the coming day of the Lord? Will you be caught blameless? And will you be found in Christ on that day? Because that's the only way. Now is a time of mercy. Let us walk as sons of the day looking for us, Peter says, and hastening for the coming day of the Lord. And by God's grace and the righteousness of Jesus Christ, we will stand on that day having done all to stand because our hope and our confidence is in Him. Amen. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, You have revealed so much to us in this passage. You have told us how to live before You as Your people who have been redeemed. And oh Lord, although mockers come in amongst Your church, we know that You are long-suffering. We pray that you would use us to call all peoples to repentance and belief before this great day of salvation is over. And we thank you that we have the assurance that because of salvation, because of the work of our Savior, that we will stand on that day, having done all the stand, because of His blood. In His name we pray. Amen. In Jesus' name.