Expounds on the warnings and promises found in 2 Peter chapter 3, emphasizing the reality of future judgment and the certainty of Christ's return. It addresses the scoffers who question the Lord's coming, reminding listeners that God's timing is not human timing and that His long-suffering is an opportunity for repentance. The message highlights the coming destruction of the current heavens and earth by fire, contrasting it with the promise of new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. Ultimately, believers are exhorted to live godly lives in anticipation of this future hope, recognizing that God's long-suffering is salvation.
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that I'm gone. A few of us have been able to come together together tonight. I want to go to a chapter that I have very little ministry from and preaching about it, which is a great needed one from the second epistle of Peter. If you have your Bible, Peter wrote two epistles. And we'd like to turn to the second epistle that he wrote and particularly read through the third chapter of this epistle. You will find that in Peter's epistle, like all others' second epistles, there are words of warning in the closing days of Christianity and the testimony of the Lord.
I feel very earnestly that we little take in, as we ought to do, the seriousness of the departure of the world and even of the Christian testimony from the Word of God. Peter particularly touches upon it in chapter two. And may I remind you, they are not very happy words to read in chapter two. that as there were many false prophets in Israel in early days, so shall there be false teachers in the last days before our Lord comes.
I believe that is the teaching of the Word of God. There are more false teachers than there are the true in the Word of God. Then in the third Let me read it through, if I may, from the beginning to the end. Peter is saying this second epistle, Beloved, note the tender words as we write to the believers. Beloved, I now write unto you, in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken, by the holy prophet and the commandments of the apostles of the Lord and Savior he embraces the whole word of God to be followed and then going to verse three and down through verse seven it tells of a present danger in the world knowing this verse that there shall come in the last day scoffers walking after
their own loss and saying, and this is their scoffing challenge, where is the promise of his coming? May I be reminded with you again, as we heard one of the youngsters or of our brother Bill Wilson make the statement to the children, the precious promise of John when the Lord said, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. Now here is Peter writing, In the last day there are scoffers, walking after their own desires, and saying, Where is the promise that is coming?
And what do they continue to say? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. My beloved, let me ask you a question. Do you believe what the word of God teaches regarding the future of the world? As I read my Bible, the greater part of it, both in the Old as well as the New Testament, warns us of coming judgment upon the whole world.
And we find them even today, oh, ridiculing the promise of the coming of the Lord. Now, beloved, let me repeat. There are many doing it today. Let me suggest to you, no false religion and cult believes in the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. They have laid aside the teaching of the Word of God, not only in regards to the past and the present, but also to the future. Now known in verse five, they have condemnation. Peter writes, For this they willingly are ignorant.
May I say frankly, I don't care what country you pray for. The nations are ignorant on what is coming. That by the word of God, they have forgotten that the heavens were of old, the earth standing out of the water. and in the water whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perish now beloved there's a reminder of what you have in Genesis chapter six a worldwide flood that drowned everyone with the exception of Noah his wife and their three sons It was a universal calamity.
Now if we read down the chapter, we're going to find there's going to be another universal calamity. And the world is not looking for it, nor expecting it, nor even wanting it, but even denying it. There's no statement that follows. A most solemn one, please. But the heavens and the earth, which are now by the same word, that is the word of God, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and the perdition of ungodly men.
What are the prospects for the world? If I follow my Bible rightly, unfailing judgment and a position of ungodly men. Ungodliness is a common condition today in the whole world. You may say what you will. Godliness does not prevail, but rather ungodliness. But now know what the apostle encourages and exhorts the believer. but beloved once again he calls them beloved be not ignorant of this one thing what and nobody adds as you go to two verse eight one day is with the lord as a thousand years and a thousand years of the day as one day My beloved, God doesn't measure time the way you and I do.
And as far as he, an eternal being, a thousand years is just about one day to him. And one day is a thousand years. May I pause for just a moment? I'd like you to think of something. How long is it since the Savior went away? and he promised to come back again approximately two thousand years and may I say again that James wrote it the coming of the Lord draweth nine but now note verse nine how the Apostle writes the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, that some men count slackness.
He made a promise, our Lord Jesus, before he went away from this earth. And now he unto two thousand years have gone. Will he keep his promise? He sure will. He's not like man, that some men count slackness. But note the precious truth that follows. He is long-suffering to outward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. My beloved may I say again, you may raise the question, why has he not come up to this time?
He's not willing that any should perish. It's the grace of God that he has stayed off the hand of judgment to this time. Not willing that any man, woman, boy and girl should be lost in eternal hell. But that all should come to repentance. The greatest need in the world is not politics. It's repentance from sin. And the politics of this world are not preaching repentance from sin.
They're seeking to assure the world that things are going to be better. But that's not what the word of God said. Note in verse ten. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Beloved that day is coming unexpectedly without warning at the thief in the night. Suddenly in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also in the work that are there rims shall be burner.
Do I need to emphasize what the word of God is telling us? It's going to destroy the present heavens and the present earth with a great noise, nothing with further heat, and the earth also and the works of the therein shall be burner. Read on. But here's an application for you and for me. In view of that coming judgment, what should be your attitude in mind? Seeing then that all these things should be dissolved. What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversational manner of living in godliness?
My beloved. the very seriousness of what is going to take place should have its solemn effect upon your heart and mind and your life and mind by our holy living and godly character do i believe it then i ought to listen to this exhortation and going on he writes looking Paul, like a lover. Let me ask you something. Are you looking for this to happen? One thing I value about the Word of God is that it not only points backwards and upwards but forwards.
This is an end coming. Read Revelation chapter twenty-one, verse one through eight. And you have the eternal state described. It will yet be the final fruition of God's purposes. But here you and I are exhorted to be looking for it and facing unto the coming of the law, day of God. So you have the expression. Not the day of the Lord, but the day of dawn. Where in the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved.
What will happen to all? The inventions that man has made into outer space. When the very heavens are going to be on fire. and be dissolved, and the element shall melt with fervency. And Peter goes on to add, nevertheless, we, according to his promise, let me go back again and remind you that this copper says, where is this promise? Where is the word of his promise? Ever since the world has been going on, it continues on.
Wait a minute. Jesus said, Never was we. My believer, do you take it in? Do I take it in? According to his promise, do I look on new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness? Now note something very precious. Read Revelation chapter twenty-one, one through five, and you'll find the description of that new heaven and that new earth in that eternal state. And righteousness will dwell.
It doesn't dwell today. You don't have a righteous nation today. There's non-righteous, no not one, declares the Word of God. And you never will have one, not till this day comes. the day of God when God destroys the heavens and the earth. Wherein, beloved, note the application, wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, note your responsibility. Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot, and blameless.
Oh, the privilege as well as the responsibility to be enjoying the peace of God. Oh, may I say, I have no fear. I can say well as the words of another have said it. There is no condemnation. There is no hell for me. The fire and the torment mine eyes shall never see. I'm only a sinner, but I've been saved by grace. And wherefore, beloved, seeing that we look for such things, we are told, be diligent, that you may be fond of him enjoying peace, without thought walking uprightly and blameless.
And note, accounting that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you. Mine, let me say, why has not that day come yet? Because God says this is a day of salvation, and the long-suffering of our Lord is manifested. May I say lovingly and earnestly, We should be grateful that the Lord has not fulfilled this definite threat that he will.
Not yet. It's a day of salvation. Well, did Paul write in his epistles? It's Paul, as Peter mentioned them here, Paul wrote in Second Corinthians chapter six. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time. This is not the day of the law of God when it will destroy the whole universe. The day of his salvation. And Paul wrote of him many times. As Peter goes on to say. Verse sixteen there is also in his epistle and all of his epistles. Speaking in them of these things. In which are some things hard to be understood.
Which they that are unlearned. And unstable rest. as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. But let me pause for a moment and confess the great necessity of following the Word of God, what He teaches. May I humbly say it, and I do it as the personal testimony, I often preach the reality of hell on my radio messages. but I often wonder who believes them. Is hell real?
Just as real as heaven. One well said, the words of another, I quote, eternity, eternity, where will you spend eternity? Tis heaven or hell for you and me. Make now your choice. Which shall it be? But I will say this. You can't find many people that appreciate anybody preaching about how. The preacher who does so is often ridiculed. And some would even go dare to say, God would never put a person in hell.
Wait a minute there. Let me ask you a question. Is God just or is He unjust? Let me also ask another question. In the country that you and I live in, in the city and county in which we live, we have laws. We have a body of men who have been entitled and are entitled to keep and to enforce those laws. And when they are broken, The acts of disobedience are to be vividly judged.
Though oftentimes we know justice is not always man's fluke. Is God just or is he unjust? Please, we have read words in our chapter. He is not willing that any should perish and prove that he wants all men to be saved. And that proof has been the death of Christ. He dies for all men, not God, but for every sinner.
Let me repeat again, I thank God for the gospel. And that Christ died for our sins according to the scripture. That he was buried and that he rose again. The third day. According to the scripture. By which. The only way we can be said. But it is the power of God unto salvation. To everyone that believe it. But if a man and woman refuses to believe. There's no alternative. He that believeth hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not shall never see life. But the wrath of God abides upon him.
My beloved, look, we have to follow the word of God and not wrestle the scriptures in an unstable way, as many do, unto their own destruction. But now note the exhortation in the closing words. ye therefore beloved my beloved fellow believer is writing to you and to me seeing ye know these things before what the word of God tells me we've already read it he's going to destroy the present heavens and the present earth at the end of all times following the last great judgment, as you may read in Revelation chapter twenty, the judgment of the dead, unsaved dead.
Because there's going to be a new heaven and a new world. But now let me note the exhortation again. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware, there's a danger. lest ye also being led away with the error. It's a mistake of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But now there's the closing exhortation, the growing grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord, Savior, Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Do you ever notice Peter's epistles? First Epistle chapter two, let me remind you of that. In that early letter, Peter wrote these words to newborn Christians, as newborn babes, desire the same steam, milk of the world that you may grow thereby. Now at the end of his second Epistle, after the revelation of what God is going to do in the destruction of the heavens and the earth. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus.
Let me say my greatest occupation and my greatest responsibility is this, to know my Lord Jesus better. spiritually growing in grace and knowledge of this blessed person, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. No wonder Paul and Peter have the word to him, be glory both now and forever on. My beloved is coming.
Let me very briefly, and just for the reading of it, in chapter twenty-one, of the book of the Revelation, I want to read the first five verses. The description of the new heaven and the new earth. I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea to separate them. land from land. And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride, a daughter, a husband, none other than the Blessed Church, the bride of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Then I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, What a day it will be. Behold, the tabernacle of God is with them. That blessed church dwelling in the midst of that great new eternal scene. And then dwelling within that scene. And God will dwell with them. He'll abide with them. They shall be his people. God himself to be with them and be their God. What a day that will be. Every one of them will belong to him. And he will enjoy his people and his people will enjoy God.
And the blessed church, the bride, will be enjoying the bridegroom. Now note this negative indicated in verse four and five. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. My beloved, there's a lot of tears today. I guarantee the dear ones that have been mentioned for prayer tonight some of them have shed many tears in their impermanence and may be doing it now not in the new creation none in the new heaven than the new earth there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away.
And then he added in closing, He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto him, Right, for these words are true in faith. May I just close with asking you a question? Please, are you actually, am I actually looking forward that wonderful new creation. When heaven and earth were, will be passed away. And if one little girl once said when she heard, God will wipe away all tears from their eyes, the little youngsters said, God must have an awful big hand at you.
He does. Now beloved, let me say, I appreciate the prayers that we make. And we should, according to the word of God, pray for our country, for the nations, and for the leaders of the nation. And I want to say, they're not leading us to that new heaven and the new earth. They're coming to the Lord alone. We'll bring it in. Shall we pray? Dearly, beloved Father, what a prospect. We pray that this truth will have an effect spiritually upon our hearts and lives and consciousness in the present time.
What manner of person ought we to be in all conversation, manner of living and consciousness? Please, Lord, as we depart tonight, speak to our hearts and consciousness. Through this precious, glorious truth. In Jesus' precious name. Amen. Thank you for coming. God bless his word to every one of us.