Chapter 3. Now there's many folks who like to be, how would you
say this, who like to be taken away by prophecy. Prophecy becomes
their whole thrust of what they want to learn. There was a church in Oregon
that every year they would have what they call a prophecy update.
And every year they would look at certain events in the world
and certain things and they would say, surely the Lord's coming.
He's coming soon. And I at one time was caught
up in all that stuff too. I used to see, oh there's an
earthquake over here, oh man, it's coming, it's coming. Or
they found the Red Heifer. Oh, you hear these just different
things. And you get caught up in the
emotion of it. But you know what I was thinking,
and I mentioned this about two weeks ago to Vicki, I said, I
see how back then I was looking for signs and not looking to
Christ. And that's the state of a lot
of folks. They're looking at signs and all these things going
on in the world, but their eyes aren't on Christ. And I'll tell you something,
and I'm sure of this, we're a day closer today to the coming of
the Lord than we were yesterday. And I'll also tell you this,
the scripture says no man knows the hour of the day. Nobody. Any man who says, well, you know,
in evenness they get this, but you can know the seasons. No,
the scripture says no man knows the hour of the day. It doesn't
say you know the seasons. It says no man knows the hour
of the day, except the Father in heaven, when Christ is going
to come back. But we do. We can rest in the truth that
we're a day closer, aren't we? And do we as God's people look
forward to the coming of Christ? Absolutely. Absolutely. with great anticipation, don't
we? Yes, it's not wrong to look forward to the coming of Christ,
but to get caught up in all these things that are going on in the
world, and to say, well, come on, you know, now, again, you're
looking at signs rather than the Savior. And see, we're carried away by
those things, by our natural state. Look at this, the second
epistle. brings forth how long-suffering
the Lord is." Do you know why the Lord's tearing right now?
Because there's still some lost sheep. You know when the lost sheep
is saved, it's over, beloved. The covenant is finished. It's
over. Look at this in 2 Peter chapter
3. Peter writes, this second epistle,
beloved, I now write unto you. in both which I stir up your
pure minds by the way of remembrance, that you be mindful of the words
which were spoken before by the holy prophets and commandments
of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first,
that there shall come in the last days scoffers." Do you know
we've been in the last days for 2,000 years? Look at this, knowing this first,
that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after
their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming? Now have we not heard people
in our generation say that? Where is he? You keep telling
us Christ is coming. Oh, he's still not come. Look at that. There's always
been scoffers, beloved. For since the fathers fell asleep,
all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
For this, they willingly are ignorant of that, by the word
of God, the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of
the water and in the water, whereby the world that then was, being
overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and the 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."
So there's a set day we see here. You know, there was a set day
when Christ entered into this world. There was a set day when Christ
was crucified on Calvary's cross. There was a set day when he rose
from the grave. And there was a set day when
he ascended into heaven. And now we see here, there's
a set day to when the Lord is going to judge this world, judge
all the ungodly. Now, the only difference between
us and the ungodly is that we're sinners saved by grace. That's
the only difference. Because in our natural state,
we were ungodly. And by our sinfulness, the only
reason we're not ungodly is because we're in Christ. That's the only
reason. That's the only reason. Outside
of Christ, we're just like everyone else. And we were. Don't ever
forget where you came from. Don't ever forget the pit we
were in when the Lord pulled us out of it. Because it's Him who did it.
He pulled us out of that pit, beloved. That pit of sin we were
in. And the scriptures, look at this,
whereby the world that was then was being overflowed with water
perished. Noah said, there's a flood coming.
And they laughed and they mocked him. There's a flood coming. Wrath of God's going to fall.
Oh, Noah, come on. It's never rained. My, oh, my. Then it started,
didn't it? And it says here, overflowed
with water, all that were in it perished, except for those
who were. Where? One day is as 1,000 years to
the Lord. He's only been gone for two days,
right? Not very long, is it? No. And from Adam to Christ,
coming was 2,000 years. Or no. Yeah. Well, the world
is 6,000 years old. So it's been six days since he
created the world. Oh, my. Isn't that incredible? Oh, my. One day, he's in, remember,
We are caught in time and space. We are beings of time and space.
He's outside of time and space. Time and space doesn't constrain
our God. We're constrained by time and
space. He's not. And the amazing thing is he entered
into time and space to redeem us and then exited back out. Let that, chew on that this week,
that Christ did that himself, God himself did that. Entered
into time and space to redeem his people, and in exited time
and space and is now in glory, where he mediates for us. In
one day to him is like a thousand years. Think of what's happened
in the, think of the Romans and the Greeks, all those, the Persian
empires, all these great empires that rose up in time. Reigned for three, four hundred
years. Think of even our nation. Raised
up in the war of independence. All for God's purpose. All for
his glory. And from our nation, the gospel
flows forth into all the world, doesn't it? And not just our
nation, but all where God's preachers are. It's absolutely amazing. And we in freedom can gather
together and praise God when others cannot gather together
in freedom like we have. God's been real good to us, hasn't
he? He's been so gracious to us. And look at this. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promises, but some man can't count slackness, but is long-suffering
to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance. Now that verse here, is torn
out of context so much by people. It's one of the most torn out
of context verses. I want us to turn to chapter
one of 2 Peter here. And I want us to look and see
who Peter's writing to. Well, we know that he's writing
to a group of Christians. Actually, go to 1 Peter 1, and
look at this. His first epistle is written
to these same people. Peter 1, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit and obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace be to you and peace
be multiplied. So we see there he's writing
to the people of God, right? He's writing to the people of
God. We'll look at verses one, two, and let's look at verse
three, too, of 2 Peter 1. Simon Peter, a servant and apostle
of Jesus Christ, look at this, to them that have obtained like
precious faith, Well, who's that? Who are the ones who have obtained
like precious faith? What's God's people, isn't it?
Not all the world, not everybody in the world has obtained this
faith. It's not given to everybody in
the world. But we who are the people of
God have obtained it by the grace of God and the mercy of God.
He gave it to us, didn't he? So Paul's writing to believers
here. With us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. grace and peace be multiplied
unto you, and through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
according as his divine power hath given unto us all things
that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him
that hath called us to glory and virtue." Look at verse 4,
"...whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust." Peter is evidently writing to God's elect. So this verse in verse 9, which
is often ripped out of context, let's read it again. Reading this with who this letter
is written to. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promises. Some men count slackness. But
is long-suffering to who? To us-ward. Who's the us-ward? That's God's elect. He, look at this, but as long-suffering
to us were. How long-suffering has God been
with me and with you as a believer through our lives? Just think
on that this week. When I was dead in sin and shaking
my fist at God, after the Lord saved me and I rebelled too still.
Sinner saved by grace but still sinner. And how long-suffering is He
with us? He didn't turn away from us, did He? Even when we
were dead in sins, His eye was upon us. All things were working out in
our lives for our good and for His glory. All things? Yeah, that's what the Scripture
says. But all that pain I went through in this circumstance
of my life? All things. I didn't know it when I was going
through it, and I didn't even know Christ. All that was working
for my good and for His glory. Now we look back on that, don't
we, as believers? Oh, how long-suffering God is with us. He didn't destroy
us as we were shaking our fists at Him in our sin, because Christ
had redeemed us at Calvary's cross by His precious, precious
blood. And so look at this. Let's read
this as believers here. The Lord is not slack concerning
His promise. as some man counts slackness,
but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance." See, people take this verse and
say, see, God wants everyone to be saved. He doesn't want
anyone to perish. Who's the letter written to? God's elect. He will not let one of his sheep
that he died for, Christ will not let one of his sheep that
he died for be lost, not one. they all will come to repentance.
And we're living proof of that, aren't we? We're living proof
of that. We who believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, we're living proof that God's long-suffering, that He's
not slack concerning His promise. All that the Father hath given
me shall come to me, Christ said. That's a promise, isn't it? In
him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. No wise. Because they're mine. I purchased
them, Christ says, with my precious, precious blood. I redeemed them
at Calvary's cross. I bore the wrath of God that
was intended for them at Calvary's cross. And they're mine. God says, thou art mine. Oh,
wonderful words for saved sinners. We're his. We're his by creation,
aren't we? And we're his by purchase as
well. He created us, and then he redeemed our souls. My, oh
my. And then it says, but the day
of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Look at that. The
day of the Lord's going to come when no one's expecting it. God's
people are expecting it, aren't we? We look and wait with great
anticipation for the coming of the Lord. We say, even so, come
quickly with the apostles. Come quickly, Lord. One day is 1,000 years, so our
lifespan is like seconds to them. Isn't that incredible? Long time
for us, hey. If we live in our 80s and our
90s, long time for us. Seconds for the Lord. Milliseconds
for the Lord. No wonder the scripture says
our life is like a vapor. Here today, gone tomorrow. In the winter, you blow out,
that vapor comes out, and it just dissipates, doesn't it?
That's our lives. When you consider one day is
with the Lord is 1,000 years, you can see why. our lives but
a vapor. Look what it says. The day of
the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens
shall pass away with great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, and the earth also, and the works that are therein
shall be burned up. I remember telling my daughter
one time, she goes, well, shouldn't we be good stewards of the earth?
And I said, absolutely, we should be good stewards of the earth.
I said, absolutely. But it's all going to burn. Oh
man, she, you know, oh my gosh, dad, don't say that. It's true.
We see it right here before us. Everything we see in this world
is temporal, including this earth. There's going to be a new heaven
and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness, beloved. And there's
another thing. Do you remember this? Do you
remember in the 70s, it was all about the Ice Age? Remember that? Oh, there's going to be another
Ice Age. Going to be another Ice Age.
It's going to come, and everything's going to get frozen up. I remember
reading books before the Lord saved me, reading books on this,
and it getting all worked up. Well, then the next generation comes
along, and it's all about global warming. You see? You know what? You know
how man is controlled? By fear. You know what the Lord
says to Mephibosheth? Think of this. Think of this.
King David, Mephibosheth is brought to David's throne, right? And what's the first thing David
says to him? Fear not. What does God say to us? Fear
not. Don't be afraid. God's in control
of everything, isn't he? Now, we're aware of what's going
on. We're aware of... It's good to be aware of things.
We don't want to have our head in the sand like an ostrich,
do we? Not at all. Don't get so worked up and carried
away by these things that you're not looking to Christ. Because
again, every molecule, every atom in this universe is under
his control. Those snowflakes are hitting
the ground according to his divine will and purpose. And they're
piling up exactly how he wants them to pile up. I was talking
to young Jacob this week, and we were talking just about how
amazing our God really is. And we don't really think about
how Jake brought up, he says, think of this, Wayne, he says,
all the sheep in the world, including all the people in the world,
over six billion people now, right? And he feeds us all. We're clothed. But for his people,
he has his eye upon, Tom, he has his eye on your life and
you, just like he has on mine at the same time. And not just
us, but all the saints all around the whole world. He knows everything
that's happening, every single thing that's happening. He loves his people so much that
even the hairs of their head are numbered. He loves us so
intimately and knows us so intimately that even the hairs of our head
are numbered. Whom shall we fear then, right? The Lord is my light,
my salvation. Whom shall I fear, David wrote?
Mine. So don't get carried away by
the fear that's being generated. It's generated all around us
in the media. It's generated all around us,
fear, all fear-based. The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of knowledge. But fools despise wisdom and
instruction. People will fear things in this
world and not fear God. Again, we're to be aware, aren't
we? We're to be aware. I'm not saying don't be aware. Be aware
of things going on. Just don't get carried away with
them. Don't get carried away with them.
Trust in the Lord. Again, as I said in Sunday school,
that's the hardest thing for us to do is just rest, isn't
it? Just to trust the Lord. It says here, seeing then that
all these things shall be dissolved, everything we see. Even we're
temporal, aren't we? Yeah, we're gonna get put in
the ground. When we die, we're going to return to dust. We're
going to return to dust. Just temporal. What manner of persons ought
ye to be in all holy conversations in godliness? In light of that,
how should we be? Mine. 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. Nevertheless, we, according to
his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness." My, oh, my. So Peter's written these words
to believers, and he addresses the subject of the return of
Christ. The return of Christ. And this event is prophesied
both in the Old Testament and in the New. And it will occur
on the day of the Lord, which we see in verse 10. It will occur
according to God's timing and according to his purpose. And
if some man tells you he knows something and the Lord's coming
on a certain day, you can be sure as the sun rises the next
day that it's not gonna be that day that the Lord comes back. I remember Milton Howard said
that one time. He said, you hear somebody, you hear somebody,
this is funny. He used to be a missionary in
New Mexico. He says, you hear somebody say the Lord's gonna come back
in that day? He says, you go and bet a million dollars that
you're gonna win a lot of money. Oh my, he was a character. But
it's true. No man knows the hour of the
day. It'll occur all according to God's timing. And look at
verse 10 again. But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass
away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall
be burned up. My, what power. What power. What power will be
exercised. And who is going to exercise
that? Jehovah. God my Savior. If you're a believer,
God your Savior. Isn't that wonderful? That's
who holds us in His hands. If He can keep every atom in
place and every molecule where it's supposed to be, it's not
hard to keep me. Not hard to keep you either. Oh my. And Peter warns though,
look at Peter warns this, The day of Christ is coming. Look at verse three again. Knowing
this first, that there shall come in the last day scoffers.
Scoffers. Walking after their own lusts.
And they will say, where's the promise that's coming? Where
is he? Now again, we've all heard people say that in our lives.
Where is he? Come on, Wayne, where is he?
You keep saying he's gonna come, where is he? Well, he's in the
heavens right now. And he's doing whatever he pleases.
And on the day that I don't know, he's coming back. And I ain't
even going to speculate. I'm not even going to speculate.
But I know he's coming. He's promised he's coming. I
can trust in him. Bye. For since the Fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning
of the creation." Yep, that's right. God's still in control. He's in control when He created
all this. He's in control even when He
came to this earth. He's in control right now in glory. And He's
gonna wrap it all up whenever He's pleased. And then there'll
be a new heaven, look at verse 13, there'll be a new heaven
and new earth wherein dwells righteousness. My, oh my goodness. But don't be fooled. Time is not consequential to
Jehovah. Again, he's not constrained by
time like we are. Time is consequential for us,
isn't it? We've got 24 hours in a day, seven days a week. Some live a long life, some live
a short life. Some live a medium life, right,
in years. But look again, verse 8, but
beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with
the Lord as a thousand years. My lifetime's nothing to him. Lot to me. Lot to you. A vapor to him. Scripture says
this in Psalm 90, verse 4, For a thousand years in thy sight
are but as yesterday. Now think of that. But as yesterday.
Why? Why would the scripture say that?
Because a thousand years is like a day to the Lord? Just like
yesterday. Think of that. Just like yesterday. What's happened
in a thousand years? What's happened in 2,000 years?
What's happened in 3,000 years? What's happened in 4,000 years?
What's happened in 5,000 years? What's happened in 6,000 years?
Like six days for the Lord. Oh, my. Scripture says this again. For 1,000 years in thy sight
are but as yesterday, when it is past and as a watch in the
night. My. Jehovah is the high and lofty
one, beloved. He inhabits eternity. Again,
we're constrained by time and space. He is not constrained
by time. We are, though. He inhabits eternity,
according to Isaiah 57.13. He inhabits eternity. All time
to him is, therefore, but a mere point or a moment. All of time
to him is just a point. Just a moment. My, how great is our God, beloved. How great is the one who saved
us. How great is the one who came to this earth and redeemed
us. Purchased our souls and now went
to glory. How great is he. The next thing
I want us to consider is God always keeps his word. Look it,
the Lord is not slack concerning his promises, some count slackness.
Now we promise things and we can't do it all the time, do
we? Used to be a group movement way
back called promise break or promise keepers. They should
have called themselves promise breakers, because that's all
we are as humans. We break promises all the time.
Think of all the peace treaties. We talked about that a few sermons
back. Think of all the men constantly
trying to seek peace. And they're peace breakers, aren't
they? They break the peace. They're truth breakers. Oh yeah,
we're gonna agree to this, and then a month later they're fighting
each other again. But God, when he says, when he
promises something, when he says, when Christ said, all that the
Father give me shall come to me, every one. That's why you hear us preachers
say, God won't lose one of his sheep. Not one. And that means if you and I are
a sheep, he won't lose us. He saved us and he kept us. And
he will keep us too, won't he? Now that's comforting, isn't
it? That's comforting once we see everything going on in this
world. See saber rattling between nations and things. It's comforting
to know that God will keep me through all this, no matter what.
And then he's gonna take me to glory. If it all wraps up when
I'm alive, I'll go right to glory to be with him. Oh my. He's not slack. Scoffers mocked
Noah concerning the coming judgment. But then it came at the appointed
time, didn't it? At the exact appointed time, it started raining. The fountains of the deep, it
says, came open. Underground springs welled up.
My, oh my. Oh my. They mocked him. Scoffers
mocked the prophets about the coming judgments against them.
Isaiah 59, 19, it says this, that say, let him make speed
and hasten his work, that we may see it. And let the counsel
of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know
it. My, my, oh my, men have scoffed about
the Lord from the beginning. They mock His judgments. But
I'll tell you what, they don't mock his judgments when they
fall at that appointed time. No, no, not at all. Look at verse
9 again. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise. If some man counts slackness, but is long-suffering
to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, that all should
come to repentance. Look at that. Is long-suffering
to us-ward. Again, who is the us-ward? Well,
we know from what we looked at earlier, it's God's people. It's
those who have obtained like precious faith, isn't it? It's
God's elect, who by the grace and mercy of God were purchased
at Calvary's cross 2,000 years ago. And who by the regenerating
power of God the Holy Spirit are born again and granted faith
to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. My. And some teach again, I mentioned
earlier, some teach that God's not willing that any member of
mankind should perish. And they teach that every member
of mankind is capable of coming to salvation of his own free
will or by something that they do. And think of this, when they're
teaching that, they're teaching that God's will is subservient
to man's will. I'll tell you what, we're at
the mercy of God. We're at his mercy. That's why
the publican said, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. And the self-righteous
Pharisee was saying, I thank you. I'm not like him. Oh, my. And there's that publican
with his head down saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. So false teachers teach that
God's long suffered every member of mankind and that That he hopes
that all shall come to repentance. But that's not who this verse
is written to. It's not written to all the world.
It's written to God's people. And we marvel when it says he's
long suffering to us word. I marvel that I'm included in
that number. Is it so for you? That the us word is me and you. My, God's not willing that any
of his people shall perish? No, not one. Why? Because he purchased them with
his precious blood. And they make up his body. You
think the Lord's gonna have in heaven a missing finger off his
hand? No. Or a missing toe? No, nothing. Just as he is perfect,
we'll be perfect in him. That's when we get the glory.
We're imperfect here, aren't we? We know it. But oh, we wait
for that day when we'll go home with the Lord, either at His
coming or at our death. My, if God is helpless to save
sinners, then He's a failure. But our God, the scripture says,
shall not fail. He shall not fail. He came to
accomplish salvation for us, and he accomplished it perfectly. Remember, nothing to be added
to it. Finished to perfection. I'm so
thankful I found that. You're gonna be hearing me mention
that, because it's like, I'll tell you what, it's just so wonderful
to think that, and to know that, that God's work is being brought
to perfection in Christ. that we're so saved that it's
all done by Christ and it's brought to perfection, and it's nothing
we've done? My Lord. So it's a grievous error of this universal salvation that
they claim here in this verse. In Peter, in the context of this
text clearly distinguishes us from them with the words here. Let's look
at this again. This second epistle, beloved, now I write unto you,
in both which I stir up your pure way by way of remembrance,
that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before
by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles
of the Lord the Lord and Savior knowing this first that there
shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own loss
so there's a separation here between God's people and those
who are scoffers and saying where is the promise of his coming
for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were
from the beginning of the creation for this they will they are ignorant
of that By the word of God, the heavens were of old, and the
earth standing out of the water and in the water, whereby the
world that then was being overflowed with water perished. But the
heavens and the earth, which are now by the same word, are
kept in store reserved under fire against the day of judgment
and perdition of ungodly man. There's a separation here, isn't
there? And then it says, but beloved, be not ignorant of this
one thing. One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and
a thousand years is one day. The Lord is not slack concerning
his promise and who's his promise to his people. But his long suffering
to us were not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance. So there's definitely a separation
in our text, us from them. the scoffers, walking in their
own lusts, ungodly men, verse 7, that will be destroyed in
the day of the Lord, verse 10. And in the greater context, this
includes false teachers. Look at 2 Peter 2, verse 1 and
2. But there were false prophets
also among the people, even as their shall be false teachers
among you, who privately shall bring indamnable heresies, even
denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves
swift destruction. And many shall fall their pernicious
ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken
of." So there's a separation there too. My. And look who, again, he addresses
this epistle to, 2 Peter 1.1, Simon Peter, a servant and apostle
of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith
with us. Through the righteousness of
God and our Savior. So he describes God's people
as the recipients of grace and peace. Who have obtained like precious
faith. through Christ who have escaped
the corruption that's in this world again look at 2nd Peter
verses or chapter 1 verses 2 to 4 grace and peace be multiplied
unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord
according as his divine power hath given us all things that
pertain in the life and godliness through the knowledge of him
that hath called us to glory and virtue whereby are given
unto us, exceeding great and precious promises, that by these
ye might be partakers of divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust." So those who are objects
of Jehovah's calling and election, look at verse 10 of the first
chapter. Wherefore there rather, brethren,
give diligence to make your calling and election sure. If ye do these
things, ye shall never fail. Look at verse 12. That those
who are God's people are established in the truth. Wherefore, I will
not be negligent, put you always in remembrance of these things,
though you know them, and be established in the present truth.
Do you know the gospel? Do you know that Christ alone
saves his people by no works of our own? That's being revealed
to you, beloved, by God. Cuz not everyone believes that. And then look at verse 11 in
2 Peter chapter 3. What are we characterized by?
Well, holy conduct and godliness. Looking for the hastening and
coming of the day of God. The world doesn't look for the
coming of Christ. Not at all. They don't care. You know, before
the Lord saved me, I went and saw one of those movies, I don't
remember what they were, they were Mark of the Beast and all
those things, the movies, they used to scare the, my goodness,
they just, you know, they were very religious movies and they
were made and they were put out and talked about all this stuff's
gonna happen during the tribulation and all this stuff and all this
stuff going on and all, and, you know, I was afraid for a
couple days and then, I forgot about the Lord's coming. Didn't
really think about it anymore. Maybe here and there. But didn't
concern me. Did it concern you before the
Lord saved you? Oh yeah, well, those folks believe that. Those
Bible thumpers. I guess now I'm a Bible thumper.
Because I'm a Bible believer. I believe what the Word says.
I believe the Lord's coming back. I do. I believe He's not slack
concerning His problems. are his promises. He will come
back. And we look for his coming, don't
we? We look for his coming. My, and
Peter brings forth the beloved of God, doesn't he? My, oh my,
we're beloved of God. And then he talks about long-suffering
here. I'm going to quickly do this here. He talks about long-suffering,
verse 9. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some
may not count slackness, but is long-suffering to us. Peter
here brings forth the long-suffering of God towards His people. And
this speaks of Jehovah in His covenant relationship to us. He's He doesn't get tired of us. He doesn't get tired of us. He
loves us. He loves us with an everlasting
love. His love has been set upon us
from eternity. And the love that God has for
His people is so deep that Christ came to this world to redeem
us. God Himself. The love that Christ has for
us is so deep, so immeasurable, that the Son of God Himself,
sent by God the Father, came to this earth to redeem sinners,
to purchase us with His precious, precious blood. That's why the
Lord's long-suffering with us, because we're His people. We're
a people of His choosing. We're a people He's redeemed
with His precious blood. God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ
in the flesh, God in the flesh has redeemed us because He's
loved us with eternity. And oh, how longsuffering He
is with us. Let us eagerly await for His
return. And let us not be swayed by people
saying, Well, look at this going on over here. Surely he's coming,
he's coming even quick. Well, he's coming, every day
it's getting closer. And I don't know the day and they don't know
the day, but I'll tell you what, people can get so wrapped up
in all that stuff. And it just gets our eyes off
Christ. Say, but yeah, but I'm looking into a good thing, the
coming of Christ. Yeah, rejoice over the coming of Christ, yeah.
But I'll tell you what, you start looking at signs. and your eyes
aren't on Christ anymore. And I know for a fact, when I
get my eyes off Christ, I get in a world of trouble. I start
getting worried. I start getting all these things
happen. I get anxious. Oh, Lord, help me. Help me to
focus my eyes on you. What did our beloved brother
who wrote this epistle say? Lord, help my unbelief. Help my unbelief. Help me just
to rest in you, Lord. Help me each day to rejoice that
it's a day closer to your coming and a day closer to me being
in glory with you forever, Lord Jesus. Let that give you comfort
this week, beloved, and rejoice that you are included in the
us world. I rejoice at that all the time.
All by God's mercy and grace. Heavenly Father, we thank you
for your mercy. We thank you for your grace. Thank you for
electing sovereign love, which chose us in Christ before the
foundation of the world.