Alright, we're going to be in
2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3, and we're
going to look at verses 10 through 18, to the end of the chapter
there. Our title is, Hasting Unto His
Coming. Hasting Unto His Coming. The
Lord's Coming. Now last week we read and studied
the declaration from verse 9 which says that the Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering
to usward, not willing that any of us should perish, but that
all of us should come to repentance. And we saw how the saints who
have gone before in this work, in this labor of the church,
they cried out. They asked the Lord in Revelation
6, saying, how long, Lord? Holy and true, dost thou not
judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them. And it was
said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season. until their fellow servants also
and their brethren that should be killed as they were should
be fulfilled." So that we understand that this seeming delay of the
Lord, it's not due to any slackness or laziness or indifference on
his part. But what he's showing us, what
he teaches us is that He's patient and long-suffering that each
of his elect children, those whom he loves, that until they
are born in their appointed time, until they come forth in their
appointed time, the Lord's not going to return until that happens,
until they come, until they're born, until the time of love
is set for them, they come to that day when they shall hear
the gospel, when they shall finally hear it they may have heard it
for many years but now in the spirit they hear it they're given
ears to hear and they'll hear that blessed truth that God has
put away their sins by grace through his son Jesus Christ
they'll hear that and they'll believe it so the Lord is patient
until all of his children till the The whole bride of Christ
in one body is saved and then the Lord will return. And this
brings us now to this verse in this morning's text, verse 10.
Just look at the first phrase that says, but. The day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the night. Now, depending on
your relation to the Lord, you're gonna hear that statement differently. There's two types of people.
There's those that are the Lord's and are saved and rest in him.
And then there's those that will never hear it and won't believe
it because they have not the spirit of Christ. But the one
who has assurance of hope, the one who's looking to Christ and
has been given faith to trust him, to believe his word, that
he has put away their sins by the shedding of his blood, that
he has washed them, that he's given them assurance and hope
in himself. They hear this word and they're
encouraged. But the one who has no assurance,
they hear this word and they tremble. When they actually are
made to hear it and actually consider it, not just indifferently
listening and whatever, but when they actually try and listen
and they hear it, if the spirit doesn't attend that word, they'll
tremble. They'll be made to tremble about
it. It says, as Paul reasoned of
righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled. He trembled. He was listening
to what Paul was saying, and he was really considering what
Paul was saying, and it made him tremble. And that's really
a picture of how a person at best hears it in the flesh. They
hear it, they consider what's being said, and all they can
do is tremble. They may, for a time, be motivated
to do a little something in the flesh, and it may go for a while,
but eventually They'll they'll it'll just come to nothing it
won't ever Result in spiritual fruit that gives glory and praise
to God for for his work What what he does in the heart of
a sinner it'll calm down and and they'll put it out of their
minds whether it's quickly or it takes time, but but the flesh
will always forget what's being said so That being said, none
who believe in Christ, none who hope in Christ, none who have
their hope in Him, we shouldn't be afraid or fear at the thought
that the Lord is returning and that when He returns it'll be
suddenly and that when in His sudden coming He'll burn up this
world and all the things that are in it. The heart that fears
the Lord or the heart that doesn't believe They'll fear, they'll
be afraid, and or they'll be angry. They'll be angry about
it. And the reason why they're angry is because the heart's
very telling, right? When you consider that the Lord's
gonna return and that he's gonna return suddenly and burn these
things up, the heart hearing that is very telling. And none
of us knows what each one's thinking, but you know what you're thinking
in your own heart. You hear that and some people
are afraid of that. And some people, are angry because
they're focused on earthly things. Their heart is really driven
by and focused on the pursuits and the goals that they have,
the things they want to accomplish. And it's not that having goals
and accomplishing things or doing well in this life is a bad thing,
but it shouldn't ever prevent us from from desiring to see
that day when the Lord returns. You know it's it's good to want
to see your kids grow up and get married and have grandkids
and things like that. You know that that's normal. And I can certainly understand
and empathize with that. But the heart that that's set
on the world doesn't want to think about the Lord returning.
It's not a comforting thought. It's not a. It doesn't give them
joy and peace, but it makes them anxious and can even lead to
anger. And so that's what happens. But the child of God whose mind
is set on Christ, they're reminded of the provision that God has
made for them, that he has promised this, that we're not necessarily
guaranteed a long and prosperous life. It's very hard. on the brethren in many ages
and you know many they had difficult and trying times and so we ought
to be encouraged by this truth that the Lord is going to keep
his word and he's going to return as he said that he would looking
more at that verse second Peter three ten. But the day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens
shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall
melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up. So the apostles tell us that
this world and everything in this world, its ways, not just
the physical structures, but even the way that things are
done, the thoughts and the intents that are in people's hearts and
how they deal with others and their business dealings and whatnot,
all those things are going to be destroyed with fire. They're
all going to be destroyed. So the wicked hear it, they fear,
but they really, it ought to be a warning to them to consider
and to seek the Lord and to know Him. You know, the apostles spoke
of the final days often. Each of them did, just as Peter
is here. Paul did as well. If you look over in 1 Thessalonians
chapter 5, 1 Thessalonians 5 verses 1 and 2 concerning the suddenness
that the Lord will come concerning the the suddenness of the Lord's
coming Paul gives assurance to the brethren and he says in in
verse 1 1 Thessalonians 5 1 but of the times and the seasons
brethren You have no need that I write unto you." They had made
this known to them often enough. For yourselves know perfectly
that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. It'll
be sudden, but it shouldn't catch any of us by surprise because
our heart is fixed on the Lord and we expect it. We know that
it's going to come. We don't want to grow sleepy
in this world and forget these things, but be reminded and remember
that the Lord is going to come and it'll come suddenly. And so we're safe in the Lord. We're protected. He's provided
sufficiently for his people. in himself. So who's going to
be surprised? Well, the wicked will be surprised.
Those who don't have any hope or assurance in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Verse 3 says, So it's going to be sudden and therefore
we're to watch and to pray. We're to watch and be aware and
be reminded and to be prayerful to the Lord that He settled our hearts and comfort
us in him and that we find our joy and our hope in him because
we know the flesh we know how the flesh Operates if you just
let me read read verse 10 again. Just stay there in first Thessalonians
Let me just read our text again but the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night in the which the heaven shall
pass away with the great noise and The elements shall melt with
fervent heat the earth also in the works that are therein shall
be burned up So Peter declares that everything that we see now
in this world is going to be burned up. It's not going to
last forever. And I just want us to see Paul
also reiterated this himself in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1.
2 Thessalonians 1 verses 6 through 8. He says, seeing it's a righteous
thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble
you. Just like we read in Revelation 6. How long, Lord? Well, the
Lord will pay them. He'll deal justly with those
that are to be dealt justly with, because that's how the Lord is.
He's a just and holy God. And to you who are troubled,
rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them
that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. So he also confirms that the
Lord's gonna come in flaming fire to burn up the things in
this world. Anything that's lasting and true
and righteous and holy, which is compared to that of precious
stones and gold and silver, those things will last and they'll
stand. Anything of God is going to last and remain. Anything
of this earth is going to burn up because at best it's wood,
hay, and stubble. It's just chaff to catch fire
and light up. So, who taught them this? Well,
the Spirit teaches us this, but we also see how the Lord Himself
spoke in this manner. If you turn over to Matthew 24.
Matthew 24. He also speaks of this day in verse 35. Matthew 24, 35, he says, heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away,
but of that day and hour, that is, when heaven and earth shall
pass away, knoweth no man, know not the angels of heaven, but
my Father, Only and then he makes us aware what the atmosphere
is going to be like in the sense of what are the people thinking?
What are they doing? What are they expecting this
to happen? It says but as of the day verse 37 as of the days
of Noah were so shall also the coming of the son of man be For
as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking marrying and giving a marriage until the day that
Noah entered into the ark And that tells us they weren't worried
about the Lord's return. Or the Lord bringing a flood
upon the earth, just as Noah had been preaching to them that
it was coming. They didn't believe him. And
so they went on in their ways, clearly by what we're reading
here. And they knew not until the flood came and took them
all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. It's going
to be sudden, just as when a thief breaks into a home, you don't
expect it. So if you were expecting it,
you'd be prepared for him. It happened suddenly. Then shall
two be in the field, and one shall be taken in the other left.
Two women shall be grinding at the mill, and one shall be taken
in the other left. Watch therefore, for ye know
not what hour your Lord doth come. So he tells us, be watchful. Be watchful in prayer, because
you don't know when the Lord's coming. You know this flesh,
and how weak it is, and how we're so easily fooled and stumble
and willingly go to sleep in the light and in the truth if
the Lord doesn't keep our hearts because we know how weak we are. But the wicked, it'll be an awful
day for them. And as I said, they'll be angry.
And that's what we see in Revelation 11, 18. I'll read it. And the
nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the
dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give
reward unto thy servants, the prophets, and to the saints,
to them that fear thy name, small and great, and shouldest destroy
them, which destroy. the earth so the Lord tells us
watch watch and pray because you don't know when the Lord
comes but know this he said that if the good man of the house
this is back in Matthew 24 verse 43 if the good man of the house
had known in what watch the thief would come he would have watched
and would not have suffered his house to be broken up therefore
be also ready for in such an hour as you think not the son
of man cometh so it's going to happen suddenly and he gives
us a good illustration saying you know in verse forty five
Matthew twenty four forty five he shows us well what are we
doing then here why why are we here what are we supposed to
be doing when we're here and and we bear fruit in the Lord
serving him and and and and and serving our our brethren that's
what we're doing here because again we're waiting for all the
brethren to come to that day of grace when they'll finally
hear, and they'll hear with the hearing ear, they'll hear by
the spirit, and they'll hear that gospel of what Christ has
done for them. They'll lay down their works
of righteousness. They'll lay down their religion,
which is by man's works and hoping and trusting in what man has
done to make himself righteous. they'll look to the Son, they'll
look to the Savior and see that He has put away their sin, that
He's the sacrifice that stood in their stead and bore the wrath
of God for them to put away their sin so that they would not pay
for their sins that Christ his blood washes them clean of their
guilt and sin before God and he says who then this is what
he says who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord
hath made ruler over his household to give them meat in due season
blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall
find so doing so the Lord tells us it's what we're to do is to
give his household that those in his household their meat in
due season and actually you think all right well that's the the
pastor or the preacher who's to preach the gospel and yes
that that is it's also each of us when you support the gospel
you're also providing for that meat for your brethren to be
fed in due season when when you come here you're also providing
you're encouraging your brethren to come here as well and and
and to be fed on the Lord and when you are thinking of one
another and the struggles and the cares and the troubles that
that you have but also your brethren and reminded and you're praying
for them Lord encourage them set their heart on you Lord and
help them and give them peace and deliver them from their troubles
you're you're you're providing meat for for the household of
God and do season and he knits our hearts together in that way
so he makes that so for his people and that's what it is to be to
be found faithful and you know you sitting under his gospel
word that's the word that's that's what mortifies this flesh you
and I know we can't do it we've tried and when we try to mortify
the flesh, it lasts for a little bit and then it peters out and
just dies and we go right on back to the things that we were
doing before. But that the gospel, the Lord. In his divine power and in his
grace and mercy, he causes us to hear it and. And you walk
in him, you rest in him, you look to him and then you look
back and then you see, wow. Remember how I struggle with
with these things and I don't even know how or when it happened
But but you helped me and delivered me from so much not everything
not everything. We still look back and I mean
we usually see Awful things and we're not very impressed with
ourselves but every once in a while the Lord enables us to see how
he's brought us and grown us in grace and mercy and certainly
your brethren and look at you and they're so encouraged by
each of you and you know they look at you and say I wish I
could you know be like them and be a faithful rock like them
and all you're thinking is I'm such a dirty filthy dog if they
knew the wickedness of my own heart and how much I need the
Lord's grace then they'll they would know you know that I'm
nothing and that the Lord is everything so you know the Lord
does that for his people so and then he says verily I say unto
you that that he the Lord shall make him ruler over all his goods
now watch but and if that evil servant in verse forty eight
shall say in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming right that
one who begins to side with the scoffers as we heard Peter talk
about those scoffers I think it was verse three first Peter
three three that they scoff where's the Lord's coming how long how
long is it going to be people you know how long are you going
to wait around And they begin to sigh with those scoffers,
and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and
drink with the drunken. The heart begins to just settle
on earthly things. The heart just distances the
thoughts of the Lord returning again. And we just think, well,
I've got maybe 60, 70, 80, 90 years before the Lord returns. Let me just pursue with vigor
everything I can in this life. And the thoughts of the Lord
just grow cold. You might continue to come and
sit under the gospel. I did for many years. And you
sit under that, and you're just a shell. You're just a shell,
and you're hearing things, and you're putting them out of your
mind as quickly as possible, and you go back to doing what
you do until the Lord He comes and softens that heart and breaks
the heart and delivers Delivers his people out of that somber
but the wicked who never knew the Lord They go on and they
begin to eat and drink with the drunken and we do we do but the
Lord delivers his people From and he wakes them up from that
but the wicked they're they're not waking up woken up And the
Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not
for him And in an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut
him asunder and appoint him as a portion with the hypocrites,
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. You can imagine that
because you realize, wow, how foolish I was when I was sitting
there hearing the gospel and I didn't believe it and just
treated it like a worthless thing, just a filthy rag and just chucked
it aside each time. you know that they'll be weeping
and gnashing of teeth reeling in that pain but the heart you
know that that's the heart that reveals that one who goes off
and is content with their deadness and content to do as little as
possible to have just that show or the appearance of religion
as little as possible so that they can have their cake and
eat it too and you know that you know they just do as little
as possible that that they could you know have that appearance
that they are the Lords but they really have no heart. And it's
like that seed which fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up
and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And the Lord said,
it's because they hear the word, and the cares of this world,
and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things
entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. But the child of God, whose eyes
are fixed on the Lord, they consider, and they hear. And we know, we
know that we don't walk perfectly and that we depend on the Lord
and the Lord warms our hearts and he shows us again his preciousness
and the necessity of the gospel and he makes us thankful again
for the Lord's goodness and kindness and that his blood is sufficient
to cleanse us from sin because we're walking in light by faith
and that means we're walking in fellowship with God which
means our sin will come to light it will be exposed and we have
plenty of it And the Lord will bring it to light and will confess
our sins and ask for forgiveness. And the Lord is gracious and
he'll heal us because he's the one who warmed our heart in the
first place. He's the one who gave us that repentance and brought
us to him in the first place. As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians
in five, the first Thessalonians five, four and six, four through
six, but ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should
overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light. and the children of the day.
We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not
sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. So we're
reminded. The Lord brings us to see that
this is life. Christ is life. He's my treasure
and my hope. And Peter goes on, back in our
text, 2 Peter 3.11, seeing then that all these things shall be
dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation? godliness and it's not that Peter's
whipping and trying to beat them into shape and to be something
that they're not but he's setting their hearts upon Christ their
husband who loved them and gave his life for them wash them clean
and white in his blood and is faithful to them and that we're
reminded that he's a faithful husband and a faithful provider
so that we're reminded don't don't faint. Don't don't give
up. Don't set your heart on this
world. The Lord is faithful. He will return. He'll come again
for us. And though this world mocks us
and tries to shame us for our hope in him. we continue in that
hope, waiting for that day when the Lord will return. So, you
know, in that way. But Paul encourages us likewise,
saying, if ye in, this is from Colossians 3. I think it's Colossians
3. Yeah, Colossians 3. Verse 1,
he says, if ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of
God. Set your affection on things above, not on the things on the
earth, for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. So all that the natural man sets
his or her heart on in this life, it's all going to burn up and
it's all going to pass away. So with that being so, does it
make sense for us to set our hearts and our affections on
these things that are going to pass away? Love isn't going to
pass away. It's fine to love your brethren and to be thankful
for the fellowship and the joy that we have. In the Lord, that'll
never change. Faith will go away and hope will
go away because we'll see then with our eyes. But love will
always will always be there. But but we don't want to set
our hearts on the passing things of this life. And it's easy to
do. But Peter warned us of it. Paul
warned us of it. Our Lord warned us of it. And
that's why the Hebrew writer says cast not away therefore
your confidence which has great recompense of reward. The Lord
will return. We're walking by faith. We're
walking by faith. We don't always see it and it's
not always clear and sometimes we have doubts but we continue. That's the Lord. You know that
the Lord keeps you and he brings you back to see that my reward
is the Lord Jesus Christ and I'm waiting. For him and so 2nd
Peter 3 12 through 14 looking for and hasting Unto the coming
of the day of God see there's an eagerness. There's a desire
there a willingness. There's a shout of Maranatha
Maranatha come Lord come Lord Jesus come just When you're ready
when it pleases you and give me a heart to be willing and
and glad for that day when when you come set my heart and affections
on you Lord because this flesh is is is a is a log that just
weighs down the This this body so so looking forward and hastening
unto the coming of the day of God We're in the heavens being
on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat nevertheless we according to his promise, look
for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. what is our chief desire of the
believer? It's to be found in Christ and
he keeps bringing us back to him so that he's our hope, we
understand he's my righteousness, he keeps delivering us and saving
us, granting us repentance from dead works religion or from just
a careless indifference to the lusts of this flesh he delivers
us from those things and sets our hearts and affections on
Christ wherefore beloved verse 14 seeing that ye look for such
things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without
spot and blameless and what he's saying there is that you know
Christ who is our treasure he who is our treasure says to us
lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust
doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal But lay
up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through
nor steal." So we're to be excited, because any day now the Lord
may return. As he says it'll be sudden and
account verse 15 that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation right
the church is remaining here until the Lord has called in
the last one and Whatever fruit he's purpose that they bear they
bear that fruit unto the glory of God their Savior And he says
even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom
given unto him hath written unto you So it appears that they had
read the letter that Paul wrote to the Romans, which was very
early on. And this is, you know, Peter's
about to lay down his life now. And he had read Romans where
it says in Romans 2, 4, where Paul writes, or despises thou
the riches of his goodness. and forbearance and longsuffering,
not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance."
So the Lord is faithful and longsuffering toward us and he's given us this
day to hear his word again and to hear his salvation and mercy
that he's provided in his son. And Peter goes on in 316, as
also in all his epistles, Paul speaking of Paul, 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. Paul was
using the Lord to address many false teachings and to address
the things that the false teachers said and were teaching the people. And some were to the Thessalonians
about the second coming of the Lord, but much of it was about
grace, how that the Lord isn't looking to us to do dead works
religion and empty works. And some people hear This were
that the Lord's returning and they get motivated to be religious
and to start doing what they need to be doing, what they think
they need to be doing to make themselves right with the Lord.
And sinner, we can't do anything to make ourselves right with
the Lord. He declares to us that God has provided salvation in
his son, Jesus Christ, that Christ is the righteousness of his people.
And all those who hear of Christ, what he has done, that he is
the lamb of God, that he has already put away the sins of
his people, and those hearing that and believing on him, believing
that he is the salvation that God provided to save his people
because they can't save themselves. They can't do a righteous and
religious work that's good. That Christ did that work. They
believe on Christ. And you who see that he is the
Lamb of God, that God provided him as the propitiation, the
means of forgiveness, rest in him. Believe him. Confess him
confess your sins to him and seek him asking him for mercy
and to be gracious to you and to bring you show you this light
more and more and that's what Paul was was showing and and
and of course they they they tried to trash Paul for that
they tried to to shame him but Paul said I'm not ashamed of
this gospel I know you're saying that that you're you're playing
you're saying that the things I'm teaching by grace that God
saves by grace leads to licentious licentiousness or leads to a
sinful lifestyle but he said I'm not I'm not going to start
preaching works of man but rather exalt Christ because with that
grace and that mercy and forgiveness he gives his spirit and that
spirit gives us life so that the spirit teaches us not to
set our hearts on this world not to pursue the lusts of this
world when we stumble and fall the Lord by his grace in Christ
lifts up the believer and enables them to walk looking to him by
faith, not that law which was written on tables of stone that
kills, but by faith, we trust him and we continue to walk in
him. And so Peter concludes, verses 17 and 18, ye therefore,
beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware, lest ye
also being led away with the error of the wicked, as he was
talking about earlier in this epistle, lest you with the error
of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in
grace, continue to be fed in the household of the Lord where
the gospels preached and continue to seek him to hear that, but
grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ to him be glory both now and forever. Amen. I pray the
Lord will bless that word and help us to hear it in the spirit. Let's pray. Our gracious Lord,
we thank you for your mercy. and for your grace through your
son Jesus Christ. Lord, knit our hearts to yours. Give us your spirit and bless
us to walk in this faith that you've given to your saints.
Help us to walk by the spirit, Lord, and not by the flesh and
vain, dead, carnal religion. And Lord, If we hear this word
this morning and we're afraid or angry, grant us repentance,
Lord, and help us to hear the gospel and to seek Christ, and
that this would prove, Lord, to be your work in us, and that
you would deliver us from darkness and bring us into the kingdom
of light, to have fellowship with you, even by faith now until
you return and we see you as you are. We pray this in Jesus'
name, our Lord and Savior. Amen.