 |
|
|
REMEMBER |
|
Last
Wednesday night - remember what was going on with the moon? How many of you saw the lunar
eclipse? I was
watching that and thinking that not so many centuries ago people would
look a lunar eclipse and think that it was some kind of cosmic warning
that the world was coming to an end. Last week
Athens, Greece had a heavy snow fall. 4 to 6 inches of snow. Temperature went down to minus 5
Fahrenheit. They closed
schools - canceled flights.
The place was a mess.
Unusual weather.
Last Monday
USA TODAY reported that the city of Keene, New Hampshire joined a growing
number of cities trying to anticipate how higher temperatures - less snow
and more rain - is going to effect them. Global warming - major climate
change. Where
will residents work if the sugar maple, skiing and tourism industries
disappear because of warmer weather? What
if increasingly intense spring and fall storms overwhelm the city's
culverts and wastewater treatment plant? What if hotter days fuel the growth of algae that
harms water quality? What if roofs collapse under the weight of heavy snow
and ice? What if severe weather cuts off transportation
routes? (1) Do you remember the movie The Day After
Tomorrow? Huge floods - as the polar ice caps melt - New York
gets flooded.
Then there’s a new ice age caused by global warming. These are huge questions - for some. Are we on the
verge of the end of life on planet earth as we know it? There is - of course - Larson’s version of all
this. “Oooooooooooo.” Please turn with me to 2 Peter - chapter 3 - starting
at verse 1. This morning we’re going to look at
the end of the world. As we’ve been going through 2 Peter - Peter has been
writing about the incredibleness of having a relationship with God -
living life with God - in which God supplies all that we need to live that life - supplying even
the basis of that life - the salvation offered to us in Jesus Christ. Peter’s been
writing about how to live that life in the day-to-day stuff of our lives.
Chapter three takes that life to the next level - the
end of the world and beyond. Put simply: What it means for us - who know what’s coming - to
live today with God. 2 Peter 3 -
starting at verse 1: This is now, beloved, the second letter - First Peter - now second Peter - I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your
sincere mind - that is - your minds that aren’t polluted by the
crud and sin of this world - which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of
reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy
prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your
apostles. Let’s pause here. What Peter writes here is his purpose for writing this
letter.
His purpose is to remind the followers of Jesus of what they
already know.
To stir the grey matter. To bring up to the surface - to the
forefront of their thinking what they needed to remember in order to live
life with God in the days in which they were living. Peter writes that they should remember two
things. First: The words
spoken beforehand by the Holy prophets. Prophets of the Old Testament - through
whom God had spoken. Remember we looked at this back in chapter 1 - verse
21:
“No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will,
but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” God making Himself known to man - giving
to us what we need to understand - making all that known to us through His
prophets. Specifically, what Peter has in mind here are those
prophecies which focus on the coming of the Messiah. What Isaiah
and Joel and Ezekiel and Daniel and Malachi had to say about the Messiah’s
coming - the first and second comings of Jesus - were not something they
made up - “cleverly devised tales” - but revelation from God. Two examples - of many - Isaiah 66:15 says, “For behold, the Lord will come in fire and His
chariots like the whirlwind to render His anger with fury and His rebuke
with flames of fire.” Malachi 4:1 to 3: “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a
furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff, and the
day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that
it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My name, the sun of
righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth
and skip about like calves from the stall. You will tread down the wicked, for they
will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am
preparing,” says the Lord of hosts. Second Peter writes that they should remember
the command of the Lord spoken by our apostles. Jesus taught His disciples about what would happen as
the world drew to an end. He spoke of famines and earthquakes and
wars. An
increase in lawlessness. An absence of true love. Great
tribulation. Matthew records Jesus’ words - one example - Matthew
25 starting at verse 29: “But immediately after the tribulation of those days
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the
stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be
shaken.
And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and
then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will
send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together
His elect from the four winds from one end of the sky to
another.” (Matthew 24:290-31) Just as He did in the Old Testament God speaks to His
people in the New Testament. That prophetic word comes to us through
the apostles - who recorded Jesus’ words and deeds. And, who give
to us our understanding of God’s plan and purposes - as God - the Holy
Spirit has revealed it through them. Peter’s purpose is to stir up our minds to remember
what we know about what God has said about Jesus and what's coming. Verse 3: Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers
will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying,
“Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep,
all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” Let’s pause there. Scripture defines the last days as the time between
Jesus’ birth and when He comes back again. We’re all living in the last days. As long as
there have been last days there’ve been mockers - scoffers - people who
make jokes about the things of God - who ridicule anyone for believing
such nonsense.
There were mockers in Peter’s day. There are mockers today. Agreed? What these mockers question is not a new question.
The patriarchs - Abraham - Isaac - Jacob - they’re all
dead.
Those that lived before us - our ancestors - our fathers - they’re
all dead.
Generations come and go. Each day the sun comes up and the sun
goes down.
Nothing changes. So why should it? “Where is Jesus’ promised coming? Hasn’t
happened.
How can any rational thinking person actually believe that someone
who lived and died and was buried 2,000 years ago is actually going to
show up flying around in the sky with a bunch of angels playing
harps?
How can anyone believe that some loving God is going to wipe out
good people and only let some special born again nuts into His happy
place.
Let’s get real.” The reason they mock - writes Peter - is
because they’re “following after their own lusts.” Aldous Huxley - the philosopher and atheist - wrote
this, “The philosopher who finds no meaning for this world is not
concerned exclusively with the problem of pure metaphysics: he is
concerned to prove there is no valid reason why he personally should not
do as he wants to… For myself, the philosophy of
meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation, sexual and
political.” (2) At least he’s honest. Deny the existence of God - or at least
our accountability to God - and we can follow the desires of our hearts
anywhere.
You are free to sin. You are your own authority over your
life. Does that familiar? In our enlightened post-modern humanist
world?
There is no such thing as absolute truth. Everything is
permissible as long as I don’t harm anyone else. And if I do
something harmful - blame the other guy. What matters is self. Everything
else is a matter of perspective. God is who I create Him or her or it to
be.
Reflective perhaps of my need to explore my own spirituality. Coming to verse 5 - Given the mocking world we live in
- there are two reasons why it is important for us to
remember what God has said. The first reason we need to remember what God has said
is because God - not man - is the authority. Say that with me, “God - not man - is the authority.” Verse 5: For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice
that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was
formed out of water and by water, There are four fatal flaws in the reasoning of those
who are mockers. Fatal Flaw #1: They weren’t there. Say that with me, “They weren’t there.” Where is baseball mentioned in the Bible? In the “big
inning.”
Old joke. Genesis 1:1 says, In the beginning God create the heavens and the
earth.
The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface
of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the
waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God goes on - speaking things into existence by the
authority of His word: day and night, dry land, clouds, seas,
oceans, plants, stars, the sun, the moon, birds, fish, animals. It isn’t until
the sixth day of creation that God finally gets around to creating man.
There’s a lesson in humility here. Whatever
understanding we may have of natural law is limited to the perspective of
a creation not the creator. We can speculate all we want about how
all this came into being - even the method God may have used to bring all
this into being.
But, ultimately we don’t know. But, God does. Because God
was there and we weren’t. Verse 6 - fatal flaw #2 - through which the world at that time was destroyed,
being flooded with water. Fatal Flaw #2: Things have changed. Say that with me, “Things have changed.” People continually can talk about cataclysmic global
change - floods and new ice ages - earthquakes and plate tectonics -
basically the earth rearranging itself - meteors crashing into the planet
and destroying huge numbers of life form. Hollywood cranks this stuff out endlessly - The Day
After Tomorrow - Waterworld - Earthquake - I Am Legend - Dr. Strangelove -
Independence Day - Transformers. If the planet doesn’t self-destruct or
we don’t wipe ourselves out then some race from space will. What’s amazing is that people see a lot of this as
credible - in the realm of possibility. But as soon as we mention a cataclysmic
world altering flood and that a few people are divinely preserved -
suddenly people think we’re a nut case. The mockers argue that nothing changes. But the only
do so because they refuse to acknowledge - what? God’s authority over
their lives.
Which was the was same issue back in the days of Noah. People eating
and drinking and giving in marriage - doing the stuff of life - not
listening to God and His warnings about how they’re living in defiance of
Him.
(Matthew 24:27-39) God has judged the world - man living in sin. There was a
cataclysmic flood. The evidence is there in the geological
record if one chooses to admit it. God has altered geologic and human
history.
Going on - verse 7: 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. Fatal Flaw #3: Judgment is coming. Say that with me, “Judgment is coming.” Anyone ever buy something using a lay away plan? Where they
store hold something for you while you make payments. When you’ve
paid for the item then they give it to you. The word here in verse 7 for “reserved” is the Greek
word “thesaurizo” which means “laid up” - “stored up.” Payments are
being made.
We don’t see the reality of it yet. But one day - what’s been paid for is
going to be given to those who’ve earned it. If you skip down to verse 10 - Peter writes about the
day of the Lord. Which is the way Scripture
describes the end time. It’s the time when Jesus returns. When judgment
happens.
When the world as we know it comes to an end. Peter says the day of the Lord is coming like a
thief.
Jesus said, “Of that day and hour no one knows.” (Matthew 24:36). Someone said that if you say,
“Today Jesus is coming back.” Then He won’t. Because we’re expecting Him. That’s not the point. The point is that His coming will happen
quickly - suddenly - unexpectedly. Because people are going to be smug -
caught up in their own sense of false security. Thinking about
themselves and not God. His return will catch them by
surprise.
The effects of His return won’t be felt until after its too late to
prepare for it. The word “destroyed” in Greek has the idea of being
dissolved - vaporized - poof - no more. The basic elements - which were to the
Greeks:
earth, air, fire, water - poof. Today we might talk about the basic
stuff that’s the fabric of matter. It all goes bye bye in ball of roaring
fire. Nothing escapes what’s coming. Revelation 20
- verses 7 to 15 - are very clear that the end coming to the ungodly -
those who die without trusting Jesus as their Savior - the end is a lake
not made of water - but fire - eternal fire and brimstone - sulfuric gas -
acrid steam - foul odor - a place of eternal burning and choking -
unending weeping - sorrow - gnashing of teeth - forever separation from
God. Not
very pleasant.
But, very real. Peter writes, “By God’s word - not the word of the mockers - by God’s word the present heavens and earth are being
reserved.” God is holding back judgment. The mockers
are making payments with their unrepentant arrogant sin. One day - when
God says “Enough.” By God’s word, judgment will come. Going on - verse 8: But do not let this one fact escape your notice,
beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a
thousand years like one day. Fatal Flaw #4: The wrong
temporal perspective. Say that with me, “The wrong temporal perspective.” Twin brothers live on Earth. One brother
takes a trip to a distant star traveling at a high percentage of the speed
of light.
When the twin returns he’ll be younger than his brother who stayed
on earth because for the twin traveling near the speed of light time
slowed down during the trip. That effect is called “time dilation.” It helps
explain why the speed of light is the same no matter how fast you are
going. As
a traveler accelerates time slows down for him. This, in turn, affects his
measurements. The passage of time is relative to our own perspective
of passing events. Put differently. Have you noticed that anticipating event
you’re really looking forward to - like a vacation - the anticipation
usually takes longer than the actual event - which generally blows by
pretty quickly? When it comes to the passing of time relative to the
unfolding of God’s plan for creation the only perspective that ultimately
matters is God’s. 1 day equals 1,000 years and 1,000 years equaling 1
day probably isn’t an exact formula. The point is that God transcends
time. He
created it.
Time is a tool in His hands to be used as He chooses. So,
Peter writes in verse 9 - The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count
slowness...
There are a number of examples in Scripture of God keeping His promises to individuals -
even though he appeared to be slow in doing so. God
promised Abraham a land for his inheritance, but that promise wouldn’t be fulfilled until 400 years
after it was made. The Ammorites were living in the land that was promised
to Abraham.
They were given all those years to repent. Probably they
thought God hadn’t done anything about their sin and probably
wouldn’t.
But the promise made to Abraham was fulfilled 400 years later when
Joshua and the other descendants of Abraham wiped out the Amorites. At
the age of 75 - God promised Abraham a son - an heir - and 25 years later
Isaac was born.
God promised Moses and David a Savior - but Jesus didn’t appear on the scene for 2,000 years following the
death of Moses. God
keeps His promises regardless of the time interval involved. And, God uses
intervals of time for His purposes. Peter goes on in verse 9 - “The
Lord....is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all
to come to repentance.” God
is long-suffering toward rebellious mankind. The Bible
says, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10) Men are
“dead in their trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians
2:1)
Everyone deserves hell and eternal separation from God. (Romans
6:23) And
when Jesus returns - that’s it. Judgment and Hell and eternal separation
for those without Jesus. But,
God is patient toward us that we might be saved. God loves our
family members and friends - our co-workers - who have not trusted
Jesus. He
is patient - perhaps working through us - to share the Gospel and bring
them to salvation. To accuse God of being tardy - of not operating within
our time parameters just proves that our perspective of time is fatally
flawed. God is using time according to the purposes for which
He created it.
While mockers may point to the socio-geologic constancy of the
present age as an indication of the absence of God - and a justification
for their own godless behavior - we need to be reminded that the
socio-geologic constancy of the present age really is an act of God’s
grace towards mankind and a demonstration of His sovereignty over the
affairs of His creation. Bottom line: We live in a society which chooses to doubt the
existence and working of a personal God - because to admit His existence
would mean that we would have to be accountable to Him. It is easier
to mock than to be accountable. Given the mocking world we live in - reason number one
- why we need to remember what God has said - is because God - not man
living in sin under God’s judgment - with his finite - flawed perspective
of what God is doing - God - not man - is the authority. The second reason why its important for us to remember
what God has said is that we live under
God’s authority. Say that with me, “We live under God’s authority.” Verse 10: 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. 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 day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning,
and the elements will melt with intense heat! As we’re seeking to live with holy conduct and in
godliness - people through whom the character of God is demonstrated in
this world.
As we’re seeking to live as people who are actually being used by
God - to hasten - literally - as people desiring to bring about His
purposes on this world - knowing that this place is going to be toast - we
are to live this way… Verse 13: But according to His promise we are looking for new
heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. We - who are followers of Jesus Christ - who - through
Jesus - have given our lives to God - because we live under the authority
of His word - we have a whole different perspective on life and what’s
coming.
It’s a perspective of great hope - great anticipation. 1
Thessalonians 4 - starting at verse 13 - Paul writing to the church in
Thessalonica - verse 13 - But we do not want you to uniformed, brethren, about
those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have
no hope. When someone we love goes to sleep we don’t
immediately call an ambulance. We know that they’re resting and that
they’ll wake up and we’ll go on with our lives together. That’s the way
the New Testament regards the death of believers - they’re
asleep. We have hope. Verse 14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again
- and we do - even so God - who raised Jesus from death - will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in
Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord - this isn’t something we dreamed up - we say this to
you by the authority of God who made it so - we who are alive and remain until the coming of the
Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise
first. If you’re in a cemetery - stand back! Verse 17: Then we who are alive and remain - those who haven’t
died - who are around on the day of the Lord - we will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we
shall always be with the Lord. Hard to wrap our minds around. Isn’t it? But won’t that
be awesome?
What a reunion! What a hope we share! There are people I’ve never met who I know will be
there. I
am so looking forward to being with them. There are people that I really miss and
I am so looking forward to seeing them again. Will you say
amen to that? Revelation 21 - starting at verse 1 - the Apostle John
writes, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first
heaven and the first earth passed away” Same place Peter is
describing.
Same place we get caught up to when Jesus comes back. John writes that in that new heaven and new earth
we’re going to live where God lives. That’s better than any place on this
earth.
More beautiful - more awesome - a place of great joy - peace. There’s a river that runs through that dwelling - the
river of life - refreshing - renewing water - the purist crystal clear
water - coming right from the throne of God. We’ll be able
to see God - right there on His throne and drink from that river. God’s presence
- God’s glory - will shine so there’s no night - no darkness - no sin. All the crud of this world will have been wiped
away. The
baggage of sin that pulls us down each of our lives - that entangles us -
that works against us - sin will be no more. Our
relationships will be free of the struggles we have now. There’ll be no more death. When we get to
heaven we’re going to get new bodies. Bodies that aren’t subject to disease -
that don’t wear out and break down. Amen? God Himself will wipe away our tears. Wipe them away
for good.
No more mourning - no crying - no pain - all the physical stuff
that drags us down - all the those things will have died with this
world. Revelation 21:5 - God speaking - God says,
“Behold, I am making all things new.
Write - write down these words - for these words are faithful and true.” This isn’t something John - or the
apostles - Peter - dreamed up. It is the authoritative word of
God. Are you looking forward to being there? Amen? God has us
here today for a purpose. But, I have to confess - more and more
each day I’m looking forward to being there. If you ever start getting nervous that we’re all going
to die in some kind of global warming catastrophe. Or, maybe you
find yourself getting caught up in the philosophy and attitudes of our
society - this perishing decaying world. Which is easy to get caught up in. We’re
surrounded by it. Bombarded by it. Remember what Peter writes. God - not man
- is the authority. We live on God’s authority. Which gives us
great certain hope.
|