Thank you. Like a river flows,
you fight these rivers. I got that. Perfect. 2 Peter chapter 1. Let's read a few verses here, beginning
with verse 12. 2 Peter 1 verse 12, Wherefore,
I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of
these things. though you know them, and be
established in the present truth. Yea, I think it need or fit,
fitting, that as long as I am in this tabernacle or body to
stir you up by putting you in remembrance. Verse 15, and moreover, I will
endeavor that you may be able after I am gone to have these
things always in remembrance. The Apostle Peter keeps pressing
upon us the need to remember something. He said, as long as I'm preaching,
I'm going to remind you of some things. I want you to remember
some things. And after I'm dead, he said,
I'm going to make sure somehow, by God's grace, that you remember
these things. Well, God did, didn't he? He
wrote a letter. He caused Peter's letter to continue. Look at chapter 3. This is our
text in a few minutes. Verse 1, he says, this second
epistle, this second letter, beloved, I now write unto you
in both, that is, the first and second letter, I stir up your
pure minds by way of remembrance. I want you to remember, he said. That you may be mindful, this
is what I want you to remember, he said. This is what I want
you to think on. That you may be mindful of the
words which were spoken before by the holy prophets. God's word
spoken by the holy prophets and of the commandment or word of
us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior. Well, what were the
words of the apostles? Well, you can turn back to Peter's
first letter. Look at 1 Peter 1. Peter said, I want you to remember
the words of the prophets. Verse 10 and 11. 1 Peter 1, 10
and 11. Of which salvation the prophets
have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that
should come unto you. In other words, all the prophets
said, somebody is coming. Someone is coming. The grace
of God is coming. The grace of God is in a person.
He is coming. Verse 11, These prophets searched
what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in
them did signify, when it, or that is, the Spirit, testified
before him the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should
follow. Peter said, I want you to remember
the things that the prophets said. What things? They all said
the same thing. Somebody's coming. They all spoke
of the same one, the Christ who was to come. Why He was coming. Listen to one of the prophets.
He says, He had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He was
wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
By His stripes we are healed. And the glory that shall follow,
Peter said, he shall bear their iniquity. And I will divide with
him a portion of the grave. The glory that shall follow.
Look at 1 Peter 2. Here are the words of the Prophets, and it is the same
one, if you recognize that one, verse 6. It is contained in the
scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a cheap cornerstone, a big rock,
elect, precious. He that believeth on him, he
that hath his anchor, his soul, on this big rock, will never
shipwreck, will not be confounded. not be
tossed to and fro, but be grounded and settled, and anchored. Verse 18, you have it? Peter
says, Peter, one of the apostles, said, You know you were not redeemed
with corruptible things of silver and gold from your vain conversation. That is, you are not saved by
or redeemed by anything you do or any tradition or any work
of man. Verse 19, you are redeemed with
a precious blood of Christ as of a lamb. without blemish, without
spot, who was barely foreordained before the foundation of the
world. 2 Peter 1. Look at 2 Peter 1. Peter said,
I want you to remember these things now, what the prophets
said, of whom the prophets wrote, of whom the prophets bore witness. Someone's coming, and we apostles,
we saw him. Peter said, We can't help but
speak of things we've seen. John said, We've seen him, we've
touched him, we've handled him. What, John? Life. Look at 2 Peter
1, verse 16. We haven't followed cunningly
devised fables. We didn't make this thing up.
This is not some elaborate conspiracy by men to make up some fellow
named Jesus. Hell no, he said. Read it, verse
16. Our witnesses, we made known
unto you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We
were eyewitnesses of his majesty. We were there, he said, verse
18, the voice that came from heaven. We heard it when we were
with him on the holy mountain. Somebody said it thundered. We
heard God say, this is my beloved son. We heard God say that that
one that walked this planet Jesus of Nazareth was God's Son. He said it out loud. We heard
it. We saw Him. We saw Him transfigured. We saw
Him. Men thought He was just a man.
We saw Him changed into light. Peter said, Remember that now.
We hadn't made this thing up. And we're going to die for it.
We're going to die telling this, Peter said. I had a good living.
Peter said, I had a good living. Me and Andrew, brothers, inherited
our father's fishing business, sitting, fishing, having a good
time, looking forward to retirement. And this man came walking by,
and he said, follow me. And we had to. And all the glory
we saw from that day forward. And in the mountain we saw God
walked this planet, Peter said. We hadn't made this thing up.
Now we're getting ready to die for this. This is not some fable. You remember that. And after they crucify me, you
remember, this is not some fable. As God is true, so is our word
toward you true. God walked this planet. And now
he's seated at the right hand of the majesty on high and he's
coming again. Do you remember that? In spite
of all the mockers and stalkers and all that. See what Peter's
saying? The prophets died for saying
he's coming and he came. We saw him. And now we're going
to die for saying it. But he came and he's coming again.
Do you remember that? Chapter 3, 2 Peter 3. I want you to be mindful now. I want you to keep that in mind.
Keep in mind. Verse 3, and know this first. Know this first. The first thing
I want you to know and remember, he says, is that In the last
days, now the last days, the days immediately preceding his
coming, scoffers walking after their own lusts,
scoffers. In the last days, mockers, scoffers. People laugh
at the notion of this one named Jesus that lived a long time,
that he's coming back again. You see, they laughed at him
coming the first time, and he did. Peter said, we saw him.
We didn't believe it either, Peter said. We didn't believe
it either until he came and made himself known to us. We know
that he is. And in him we live and move and
have our being. We know. You know this first
now. You consider, you keep this in
mind. Then in the last days, scoffers are going to come. Verse
4, saying, where is the promise of his coming? Where is he? Since the Fathers fell asleep,
all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.
Stoppers. Where is he? Literally, literally
taunting God. Literally taunting God. You remember
when they taunted him and mocked him? Remember those mockers walked
by the cross of Christ as he hung there and said, if he be
the Son of God. Remember that? Remember, at His
first coming, those scoffers walked by the cross and said,
if He be the Son of God, let's see Him come down. Just a minute. He came down,
all right. And they're doing it today again.
They're still scoffing again today. If this Jesus that you
call the Christ, the Son of God, is truly the Son of God, come
on, let's see Him come. All right, why are two kings
coming up? Year 2000 and all you fundamentalists think He's
coming. Let's see if He does. And that day is going to come.
And He may not come. See? All things continues to happen
and always will be. That's a bunch of foolish notion.
That's the belief of a bunch of ignorant, uneducated, Blue
Ridge Mountain, Appalachian Mountain hillbillies. Poor, ignorant,
uneducated people who have never had no schooling or learning,
you know, that's a belief. That's for poor folk. They've
got to have something, some kind of crutch. They've got to have
something to believe in, you know. When they don't understand,
if they just get some education, it would save them. Yeah, right. This place is really being saved
in this world. Our children are really being
saved, aren't they? Education is killing them. Scott, where is he? Verse 5,
Peter says, I want you to remember this now, I want you to keep
this in mind. Verse 5, they are willingly ignorant of this, that
by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing
out of the water and in the water. He is talking about creation
there. He's talking about the creation of the world by the
Word of God. When God said in the beginning with the Word,
he said, let there be light. Let us create man. He says they're
willingly ignorant. Man, that means they refuse to
believe. Willingly ignorant. They refuse
to believe. Willfully suppress facts and
evidence. Yes, they do. Sure, they willfully
suppress the facts and evidence. Yes, they do, and they make up
all sort of notions to support their ignorant belief in evolution. They hold the truth, Romans 1
says, in unrighteousness, walking after their own lust, or that
is, for their own covetous desire. Money answers all things. Are you with me? I want you to
remember this now. Keep this in mind. Know this. You know it's the last day, don't
you? Huh? Now, know this first, that in the last day, you do
know this is the last day. You know that much. Huh? 2 Timothy
3, we need, you want to go back there? Now, you know this. We've looked at it. You know
this is the last day. In spite of what the scoffers
might, you know this is. You read it. You read the front
page news in 2 Timothy 3, didn't you? Don't you see this perilous
time? Men are lovers of themselves,
truce breakers, and on and on and on. Lovers of pleasure more
than lovers of God. Disobedient to parents. Don't you see that
this is the last of the last day? You know that, don't you?
You know that? Steve, you know that, don't you?
You know that. Okay. And the scoffers are going to
get more and more. It's going to get more and more as the days
keep going. Where is it? I'm telling you, Y2K is going
to come and go, and they're all going to be saying, see? There are going to be more scalpers
then, Henry, even more. There's a lot of people shaking
in their boots. There's some people that really
don't believe this thing who stockpiled some things. Yeah,
they won't tell you though, but they got him in a cave somewhere
and got him a gun in it. They won't tell you that because
they don't believe this stuff. But once it comes and goes, they're
all going to say, see, see, nothing to that. Where is he? Y'all talk about this Jesus coming
back. I saw a bumper sticker. You don't think things are getting
more and more blasphemous. This bumper sticker said, Jesus
is coming, look busy. Men are literally, literally
shaking their fists. If he be the Son of God, calm
down. They are literally doing that. Jesus is coming, better look
busy. I'm telling you. Peter said,
you be mindful of this now, that in the last days, they're going
to get absolutely belligerent. Signing big signs all over the
highway, saying things God said when he didn't say it. Religion
is the worst. Religion is the worst of the
blasphemers. All these so-called churches,
they're the worst. Peter said, no, I want you to
remember this. You know this, don't you? This is the last day.
You know this is something. And verse 6, he said, now they
are willingly ignorant that God created this planet. Nobody believes
that anymore. Nobody believes that anymore.
Do they? Nobody believes that anymore. verse 6, and they are equally
willingly ignorant of, verse 6, the world that then was overflowed
with water and perished, the flood, judgment, Noah and the
ark. Isn't that funny? And so everybody
got a little necklace around their neck, you know, Noah and
a bunch of little animals. coffee table, you know, a little
ark and a bunch of giraffes and that. God's judgment. God killed
everything on this planet. That's what Noah's ark's a picture
of. God's absolute judgment. I mean, I don't believe that.
That's mockery. Wearing that little trinket and
jewelry and ornaments and decorum, that's mockery. They're mocking
God. You see what I'm saying here?
That's a picture of God's judgment, like the cross, wearing a cross
of mockery of God. That cross is an emblem of God's
absolute hatred of sin, God's strict justice. That's what the
cross is a picture of. And then where is Jewish? Know this now, scoffers are coming,
and they are here, aren't they? We are here in verse 7. But the heavens and
the earth, which are now, by the same word, are kept in store,
that is, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment, the perdition
of ungodliness, judgment, hell. Are you one of those hells, fire,
and damnation preachers? You are not one of those old-fashioned
hells, fire, and damnation Preacher, are you? Judgment's coming. Judgment's
coming. Judgment is coming. That's God. I'm not standing
out on the street corner with a big sign, don't wear a long
beard. God's been saying this from the
beginning. But they're willing to ignore
it. Don't believe that. All the calamities, the signs,
the disasters, and on the rise in the last decade, there's been
an increase in these things, more than the previous hundred
decades. Well, now, you know this. Believer,
don't you be ignorant of this. You know this. You see, don't
you? You've got your eyes wide open, Dan. Let us not sleep as
do others. We're not in darkness as others,
Mary. We've got our eyes wide open. I'll tell you. See these
things clearly. Look at verse 8. Beloved, Believer, don't be ignorant
of this one thing now. Don't be ignorant of this one
thing now. Listen. Peter said, I want you to remember and I
want you to keep in mind it. Now, this one thing, you remember.
Verse 8. That one day is with the Lord
is a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day. He is saying
a couple of things there. First of all, he is telling us
that time is of no essence with God. God is not on man's time schedule. Man thinks ten, twenty, thirty
years is a long time. God has lived for eternity. Trillions
and trillions. I mean, you can't even count
the years. A day is a thousand years with God. A thousand years
passes and it's like a day. Time is of no essence with God. And God, the Scripture says,
giveth no account of his matters to anybody. God's not stopping
to say, no, wait a minute, here's what I'm doing now. He's not telling anybody when
he's going to do anything. He's not on man's time schedule. But you remember, beloved, you
remember God's sovereign providence and God's sovereign purpose,
the wheels of God's sovereign. We went to London and saw a big
bin. If you go up inside that big clock, that clock, the face
of it is about as big as this If you go up into that clock,
you'll see a second hand, or does it have one? It may not
have one. But the minute hand, you'll see some gears and so
forth. But now, there's some big gears in that thing that
you could stand there for an hour and just barely sit in it. Is it moving? Is it our hand? Is it time? Yes, it is. The wheels of God's providence,
God's purpose from the beginning of time. God's huge, unfathomable
ways past finding out. It's huge. They move slowly, but it's moving. That big rock's rolling. It's
rolling. And that's what Peter said. Now,
don't you forget this now. God is moving, working all things
together according to His purpose. All things. Things are out of
control. Oh, no, they're not. No, they
never have been out of control. Right on schedule. Right on time. And I said, Beloved, I want you
to remember this. I want you not to be ignorant
of this. A day is a thousand years, and here's a prophecy
for it. Hidden right in this verse is
a prophecy for the Beloved. A day is a thousand years, and
a thousand years is a day. God created this planet in how
many days? Six days. Six days. God created, God generated life
on planet Earth. in six days. Right? Six days
created man. Seventh day, what did he do?
Arrested. Two thousand years. It's been
two thousand years from Adam. I don't care what these scoffers
say, willingly ignorant of, by the word of God, the heavens
that were old and creation. I don't care. I absolutely do
not care what But from Adam to Moses, 2,000
years, two days. From Moses to Jesus Christ, from
the law to grace and truth, 2,000 years. That's four days. What time is it? Six days. On the seventh day, God rested. Eternal rest. Don't you be ignorant of that
now. And now, let me let you in on something. I've already
let you in on that. It is right now about the year
2004. It's not 1999. It's already come and gone. That's
how smart they are. Lost in space. It's a few years after, but,
and it's going to come and go, too. They're going to think it's...
Do you remember this? We studied this before. Do you
remember this? Listen, as I quote from, and
you might want to mark this down, Hosea chapter 6. Hosea chapter 6. You want to
turn? You'd love it. If not, you'd
better write it down for future reference. But don't wait too
long. Hosea 6, look at this, verses
2 and 3. After two days will he revive
us. The third day, he'll raise us
up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if
we follow on to know the Lord, that his going forth is prepared
as the morning. He shall come unto us as the
rain latter, and form a rain upon the earth." Did you read
that with me? Isn't that wonderful? After two
days, now this is bifocal, and he did after two days. dead and
buried and rose again on the third day, and we were raised
with him and seated in the heavenlies. I tell you what, now after two
days, he's going to come again and raise us up. And we're going
to rest on the Sabbath. You love it? Don't be ignorant
of this. A day is a thousand years, a thousand years is a day. You read that, Brother
Sam? Don't be ignorant. You keep that in mind. Keep it in mind. All right? But
keep in mind, too, that the millennium is going to roll around, and
more times it will roll around. All right? Verse 9. The Lord
is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness. He's not slack, he's right on
schedule. He's scheduled. Concerning his promise, you see,
his promise is ordered and sure. Ordered in all things and sure.
All the promises of God in him are yea and amen, certain, sure. But God sees longsuffering to
us for it. You see, look at verse 15. You
need to take into account, he says, you need to consider that
the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation. God puts up with this planet. Why? To save me. To save you, if you're a believer. See, take that into account,
that the reason the Lord Jesus Christ didn't come twenty-some
years ago is because he had more sheep. And the reason he hadn't
come, this is why I believe, he's not through. He's not through. He has more sheep. Aren't you
glad? Parents, aren't you glad? He
hadn't come yet. He's coming. Oh, he's just as
sure. When the fullness of time has come, God will send forth
His Son. Not riding on a donkey, on a
white horse. And not on salvation, on the
judgment. But until then, the door of the
ark's open. How long did God wait? And the door of the ark
was open. He's coming. But he's not through,
evidently. He's got some more sheep. Boy,
I hope there's some in here. You need to take into account
that God's long-suffering is salvation. And what reason he
put up with an 18, 19, 20-year-old boy, twenty-eight years ago, twenty-six
years ago, the reason he put up with a young teenager. God's long-suffering is salvation.
Do you take that into account? When do you feel like the Lord
revealed himself to you, Charles Ross? About when? How old were
you? You're so old you don't remember.
How old were you? Thirty, forty? In your forties. Now, a man forty
years old, he's setting his ways, isn't he? You can't change a
forty-year-old. I know. You can't change. Once they're
40, it's too late. No, it's not. No, it's not. God's the only one who can. And
He does, buddy. He makes new creatures. He turns
a hell-bent son of Adam into a son of God. You take into account, Charles,
you remember, buddy, He put up with you 40 years. The longsuffering
of the Lord's salvation to you, Charles Roth. Salvation. And you know something, Charles?
You're still an old sinner, aren't you? You're a 70-year-old sinner
now. You're still worthless, aren't
you, Charles Roth? You feel that way? Still worthless. Still a
sinner. Still deserving God's judgment
and wrath. But you take into consideration, Charles, the longsuffering
of the Lord's salvation. He's still putting up with you
because he's going to save you, buddy. He's going to put up with
you until the day you die. Why? For your purpose to save
you, child. Do you understand that? You see, he's long suffering
to us-ward. Us-ward. Who? God's people. Beloved brethren, look at verse
9. He's not slack concerning his promise. Oh no, everything
he promised concerning his people was yea and amen. Though they
get old and they sin like David, oh, he made a promise. I'll never
take my mercy from you. They shall never perish. Though they sin just like they
did of old, they'll never perish. I made a promise. I gave them
to my son. And the gifts and calling of
God are without repentance. He won't take back anything he
gives, and Christ won't give it up either. I gave them to
my son, and he said, So the Lord is not slack concerning his promise,
as some men count slackness. Oh, there, God is an Indian giver,
isn't he? The God of this world is an Indian giver. Oh, he gives
you salvation one day, and the next day he takes it back. Gives
you eternal life, and the next day he gives it back, takes it
back. Saved one day, lost another. Not my God. He's not slack concerning
his promise. Some of them count slackness,
he's long-suffering, and us, we're not willing, not willing. My God is not willing that any
of us should perish. You know what that means, don't
you, Roberto? That God who works all things
at the counsel of his will, God who said in Isaiah 46, I have
purposed it, I'll do it. This God who willed my salvation
is not willing that I should perish, and bless God, I won't. Not having anything to do with
me, not dependent on me, thank God, but dependent on that promise,
dependent on that Word. And he says, they'll all come
to repentance. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to repentance. You see where repentance is?
They'll come to me. They'll hear his voice. They'll
be pricked in their hearts. They'll come to Christ, believe
him, confess him, and they'll be changed. They'll be changed. Yes, they will. Verse 10. Now, listen. The day of the Lord
will come as a thief in the night, as a thief. Have you ever had
a thief break into your house? I know somebody that has. I know
a couple that has up in Kentucky, laying in their bed, and a prowler
came and busted in their house. And they said it was absolutely
the most frightening thing they've ever experienced in their life.
A thief and a knife. A glass break. The biggest, toughest man on
earth is absolutely going to be shaking his boots, shaking
his I come as a thief in the night.
It's going to be an expected fearful thing, not for God's
people. And we don't taste of that. We
don't taste of fear. No fear. Perfect glory is going
to cast out fear. There's not going to be any fear.
He said, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, you'll be
changed. That's the reason death has no taste of death for the
believer. There's no wrenching agony and
pain in death for a believer. soul pain and worry and agonizing
anxiety over what happens in the future. No, sir. No, sir. No, ma'am. I said, this is my
taste of death. And when I come, it's going to
be like falling asleep. Fall asleep and wake up, sunshine. In a moment, kick it out. You fell asleep. Entered out
into the joy of the Lord. You fell asleep. Come on in. While those that aren't looking,
careful. I was reading this scripture
saying it was going to be a great prayer meeting, you know. Well, verse 10, it says, now,
going to melt the It's going to melt, and the heavens shall
pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, and the earth also, and the works of the days shall
be burned up. Titanic's going down, people. Titanic's going
down. Do you know how ignorant people
are? They're still dining and dancing.
Verse 11, "...seeing then," no, you see, don't you? Don't you
see this, Teresa, that all these things are going to be dissolved?
Do you see that? Do you see that? What manner
of persons ought you to be? What should you be doing, it
said? What manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation
and government? Do you see what's going on? You
do see what's going on, don't you? A perilous time? What should
we be doing? There were some people sitting
at that table on the Titanic. It was literally going down,
people. It was literally going down. And the story has it that
people were still sitting, dining, and dancing, and the band was
still playing. And though they came warning,
hey, that ship's going down. No, it can't. It can't. The architect says it's unsinkable.
And they were still saying, look at this china. This is the most beautiful China. China, man! You better find you
a boat and get on it. What are you talking about? What
are you talking about? China? You better be looking
for a lifeboat. What's the topic of your conversation?
China? going to the bottom. Where is
the ark? That's where it ought to be set.
Where is the boat that I can get on? Salvation is where? Jesus
Christ. But people now, wait a minute,
there's room for everybody on this boat. It's not like there's
enough room. Oh, your boat wants to get on
the boat and get on it? Yeah, here's the ark. The sink
is going down. It's going to be burning. Here's
the ark. Come on. Get on. I kind of like this. I like this boat. All right. All right. You see that? That put it in
language we can understand. It's scoffing and mocking fire. It's going to rain fire. Is that
what you're saying, preacher, that fire is going to come down
from heaven? No, I didn't say that. 2 Peter 3 said it. I didn't say it. 2 Peter 3 said
it. Nevertheless, verse 13, nevertheless,
here are some good news, Henry. We, according to his promise,
we are looking for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness. We are looking for a new heaven,
a new earth. Verse 12 says we need to look
for and haste the coming of the day of God. We need to look for
and haste it. And you know, we talked about
this last week, but what you're doing right now is hasting the
coming of Christ. Believers. Maybe someone in here
is sitting here wishing it was over, wishing this was done.
Can't wait to get this over with. Some of us are saying, And what you're doing, you see,
the more you hear the Word of God, the more it's being brought
home to your heart. You're becoming grounded and
settled. You're becoming nailed, fastened. The truth is becoming
confirmed to you, confirmed to you. So much so, now you say,
He's here. He's here. You understand now? The more you get under the sound
of the Word, the truth is being brought home to your heart and
your soul, I believe. I believe more. And the next time, I know
who I have believed. And the next time, I'm persuaded. And you say, well, he's here.
He's right at the door. It's now. It's now. Well, it
might not be 20 years. It's now. He's here. He's right
at the door. He's hasted his coming. You see
that? Not on his purpose, not in his time, but in your own
mind and heart. He's here. People, he's here. He is here. Where two or three
together, he said, I'm here. And we look according to his
promise, according to his, whose promise? His promise. Who's he? Who's he? Well, let me tell you
something about him. He's never lied. He said, he
said, he said, heaven and earth will pass away, but not one word
of mine shall ever pass away. And he said, y'all stay right
here. I'm coming back. Wait on me. I'm coming back. He kept telling them, John, didn't
he? And he kept telling them before he went to the cross,
he said, I'm going to go to Jerusalem, and they're going to kill me,
and they're going to put me in a grave, and three days, buddy,
I'm coming out. I'm coming out in three days."
He kept telling them that. They were so ignorant in the
world, stopping, mocking. Now you see, he's dead, he's
dead, he's dead. And three days later, buddy,
he came out and came and said, why are you so unbelieving? Why
are you so faithless? Touch me! And he's coming back
again. Touch me! It's me. I told you. I'm here. And we're going to say, blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. According to his
promise, he said, wouldn't you believe—Barbara, would you believe
somebody lived 3,000 years and everything they've ever said
was true? Would you believe it? Would you
take their word for it? Would you? Some people live 50,
60, 70 years and think they know it all. But, you know, most of
what they say is not true, hasn't come to pass. This is God. Everything he's ever said has
absolutely come to pass. And he said this, and he's never
lied. He said, it's true. I take his word for it. I ain't listening to old Carl
Sturt say Carl Sagan. He's dead. He knows. Who is it? Darwin. He did. Darwin,
he did. He knows. Whoever the world is now, the
leading expert, we'll listen to them. He said, according to what he
had promised. Do you see that? He had promised. Look unto me and be ye saved.
Come unto me, all you that labor. I'll give you life. And so, he says, beloved, verse
14, seeing that you look for such things, and this new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness. I wanted to get to this, and
then I'm just going to read the next few verses and quit. But
this new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. You know, this planet is, it's
beautiful. It really is. It's a beautiful
place. If it wasn't for all these humans
on it, you want to see what human beings
do to God's green earth? Go to New York City. But this world is beautiful,
you know, if it wasn't for sin. If it wasn't for sin, it would
be beautiful. Well, God, man said, God's going
to create a new one. What's going to dwell in this
new one is righteousness, holiness. No sin, no evil, no corruption,
no hatred, no malice, no envy, no jealousy, no lust, no perversion,
no murder, no filthiness, no bitter, no bitterness, no anger,
no lie, only righteousness. Righteous people, people just
like Jesus Christ. My wife and I took that ferry over to Nantucket
Island, and on the way over, there was a group of young people
on that boat, so young, they were in their thirties. It is
young now, isn't it, Mindy? But they were in their thirties,
and they were I'm not going to tell you where they lived, but
they were obnoxious, they were loud, they were just, they were
carrying on irregardless of anybody's on that boat. Just carrying on,
carrying on, obnoxious. And I told many, I said, wouldn't
this boat ride be nice if they weren't on it? I said, I sure
hope they're not over there. When we go, I hope we don't see
them over there. And I'm not going to see them
over there. Hey, over there. Righteousness. I'm not saying I'm more righteous
than them. But the fact is, this new earth
is going to be righteousness. I'll be satisfied when I wake
with His likeness. It is. There's not going to be
anything to spoil that new earth. Verse 14 says, and verse 15,
we've already read, Paul, according to his wisdom, wrote these things
to you. We read it in Hebrews 10. Verse
16, all his epistles, he speaks of these things. He keeps reminding
us, too, doesn't he? Paul does. Things hard to be
understood. Those who are unlearned and unstable,
twisted, they don't know. They don't have a clue, because
they don't know what the gospel is. Let alone prophecy. Verse 17, You therefore, beloved,
see, and you know this thing. You know this thing. Beware. Beware, beloved, lest
you also be led away with error of the wicked and fall from your
own steadfastness. Grow in grace. You know, it's a good thing at
the heart to be established with grace. Sovereign grace. The gospel of God's sovereign
grace. Is that established in your mind and heart? How are
we going to be saved? Is that established? Grace? Are we going to be saved by grace? One hundred percent grace? Sovereign
grace? Is that how it is? Grow in that grace. Keep holding
to that grace. And in the knowledge of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jason is coming. Study him. Study
his words. I'm coming, lo, I come, and the
volume of the book it is written of me. Lo, I come. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. To him be glory, both now and
forever." Do you know these things? Do you believe these things? And you can say it last word.
Can you say it last word? Let the amen sound from his people
again. Amen. Even so, come quickly,
Lord. All right, you know this thing.
Come on, Joe, let's sing a song. Sing another hymn. What number?
One hundred twenty-five. One hundred twenty-five. Stand with me.