Living Ready For Christ’s Return – Pt 1 – 2 Peter 3:10-18

Living Ready For Christ’s Return

2Peter.3:10-18

What in the world is going on?

• Some of the Questions I’ve seen rising in the News-Media, becoz of the current world events?
• Is the Invasion of Ukraine by Russia the beginning of yet another war in Europe, or even a third World War?
• Will the European Economic Community become the One World Government? (albeit a toothless tiger)
• Are the current financial crises rising all over the world, paving the way for a One World currency alongside a coming One World Government?
• Is Vladimir Putin the Anti-Christ….
  • or is it Xi Jinping….
  • Or is it Joe Biden, or Donald Trump?
• Are the China-US-Australian tensions leading to Armageddon?
• Is the Covid Vaccine the Mk of the Beast…. No, it’s just not!

Aside from those global political issues…

• There’s Earthquakes, Famines, Floods, Pandemics/Plagues
• There’s the steady In-crease, in acceptance, of every form of sexual-gender deviancy known…. & a few unknown 100 yrs ago…
• There’s the steady De-crease in the value placed on marriage, children, family, & faithfulness
• There’s the systematic murder of unborn infants by Millions.
• There’s the acceptance and allowance of murder of sick elderly, by medical professionals
• There’s the steady turning away by recognised Churches from the Historic, Biblical Faith of the Bible

So, Are we living in the End Times?

• What in the world is going on?
• Yes, Beloved, we are living in “the last days”
• But, We have been living in them since the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, 2,000 yrs ago.
• The Biblical term: “these last days” is a term used to describe time period after Messiah’s 1st coming until His 2nd coming

Is there reason to fear these world events?  No, Absolut. Not!

• Why? Becoz: Our God is still in Control!
• Becoz our God promised us, thru the Apostle Paul:
• Romans 8:35–39³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is no reason to live in Fear becoz of these world events.

Is there reason to Fear the Lord?  Yes, Absolutely!!

• Why? The Same Reason!
• Our God is still Sovereignly in control, of everything!
• If God were Not in control, then, by all means, go ahead, freak out, weep wail & lament, at your earliest convenience
• But, our God is still… He is always in Control of Everything
• Everything is going exactly according to His Eternal Plan.

So, How should we, as Believers in Christ respond to world events?

• Know this: Compared to what will happen, when our Lord Jesus Christ, returns in Power-Glory, the world events that are being displayed on our TV screens, will seem like child’s play

• The Apostle Peter, Jesus’ Closest earthly friend, is waiting, likely in a Roman dungeon, ready-prepared to die for his faith…
• Peter knows something of the terrible, cataclysmic world events that will transpire when Christ returns….
• …he knows that “the laying aside of his earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to him, (as he says in 2 Peter 1:14)
• And so Peter “considers it right, as long as he is in this earthly dwelling, to stir his readers up by way of reminder” 1:13
• Peter, by the H. Spirit’s leading, knows that we are prone to wander from the faith…
• He writes to remind us of the basic truths of Christian Faith
• He writes to reminds us to Beware of the False Teachers,
  • who will deny the soon return of the Lord Jesus
• He writes to remind us to Prepare for the Day of the Lord
• So, Beloved, as we watch sad, terrible world events unfolding around us, the last thing we want to do is become anxious & fearful
• What we… what I want to do, is to point us all, to scriptures
• I want To encourage us to always be preparing for: Day of the Lord, the Coming of Christ, which could happen at any moment
• These world events, are simply the next series of events, in a long line of terrible world events from 1st century to today,
  • All on the road toward Christ’s return…
• Christ may come back before today’s AGM begins
  • ….and we certainly, definitely hope He does!
• But, Christ may not return for 2,000 more years,
  • and we most certainly hope He returns sooner than that
• But, of one thing we are absolutely sure:
• Christ Will Return!
  But, Are We Ready?
• Are You… Am I Prepared for His Return?

1st MP: Bros & Sis, we need to know The Reality of Christ’s Return

Vs.10, Peter writes: The Day of the Lord will Come like a thief, in which the heavens and the earth will pass away with a roar…

• What is the Day of the Lord referring to?
• The Day of the Lord is a cent. feature of OT prophetic Minis.
• It’s referred to in different forms including:
  • ‘The Day of the Lord…’ or
  • ‘The Day of the Anger of the Lord…’ or
  • ‘That Day…’

The meaning of the Day of the Lord can be understood 4 ways

1) The Day of the Lord’s Judge. ag. the Nations Foreign to Israel

• Day when God will vindicate Israel, by defeating her enemies
• Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel & Amos refer to the Day of the Lord’s judgement Ag. Babylon, Ammonites, Tyre & many others

2) It referred to: The Day of the Lord’s judge. ag. Nations in General

• Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Obadiah & Zechariah all speak of God’s judgement: Against the kings (plural) of the earth

3) It referred to: The Day of Lord’s Judge. ag. all Inhabit. of Earth

• Zephaniah spoke of the destruction of all nations on the Day of the Lord’s wrath & judge. ag. all the proud/lofty hearts of men

4) It referred to: The Day of the Lord’s Judge. ag. Israel, Itself

• Why? Becoz they broke of the Lord’s Covenant.
• Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel & Zephaniah

• The Day of the Lord is described by the OT prophets as coming in the form of cosmic & meteorological catastrophes, and/or powerful armies bringing God’s Judge. ag His enemies.

To sum it up,

• for most of OT prophets, the Day of the Lord is that time, in the relatively near future, when the Lord will judge, and destroy, not only the enemies of Israel, but the people of Israel themselves for breaking His Covenant.
• Then the Lord, thru the Messiah, will establish His Rule or Kingdom Over all the Earth.

• But, is it merely an OT Teaching? No, not at all.

The Day of the Lord is certainly included in the NT Teaching.

• Our Lord Jesus H-self, describes Day of the Lord 24-25
• 6, He said: There will be wars, rumours of wars –
  • (but we’re not to be frightened)
• 7, Nation will rise ag. nation; kingdom will rise ag. kingdom
• 9, There will be tribulations,
• 9, Christ’s Disciples (Church) will be hated by all nations
• 21, then there will be great tribulation
• 29, Jesus said: After the tribulation of those days,
  • the sun will be darkened,
  • the moon will not give its light,
  • the stars will fall from the sky,
  • and the powers of heaven will be shaken
• 30, Then the nations will see the Son of Man coming on clouds of the sky, w/ power and glory
• 31, Christ, the Son of Man will come w/ all His angels,
• For the rest of ch.24 and beginning of ch.25, he gives repeated warnings to be ready for His coming
• 25:31, He said: He’ll be seated on His Glorious Throne
• 32, All the nations will be gathered before Him… and…
• 33, Christ will judge (meaning: separate),
• He, (Gt. Shepherd who died 4 Sheep) will divide them fr Goats
• The (unsaved) Goats will be cast into eternal fire, prepared for devil & demons,
• But, (saved) His Sheep will be gathered to Him,
• He will Save them from the unrelenting wrath of God in Hell.

• The Day of the Lord is Day of God’s Judgement & Vindicat’n ag. his enemies & Day of Salvation of His People: (Jew-Gentile)
• The Return of Christ in Power & Glory, is the Day of Christ’s Judging of His Enemies the Final Salvation, by Jesus Christ of all His chosen people, Jew-Gentile, from God’s eternal wrath.

The Day of the Lord & Return of Christ are the same event!

• Now, some (many) of you will disagree with the exact timing of the various events, that I very briefly sketched out….
• But, There’re Three Thing we can all agree on:
  • 1) Jesus Christ is Returning, in power and glory
  • 2) He will Judge-Condemn His Enemies
  • 3) He will Save His elect people: Jew-Gentile

• Jesus, in describing all this in 24-25, was answering a question from his disciples about the signs and times of His return, BUT, He emphasised their (and our) need for Readiness for His Return: the Day of the Lord
• 24:42, Jesus said “Be on the Alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming”
• 24:44, Jesus said: “You also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not think He will
• 24:50, Jesus said “The Master will come at an hour the slave does not expect him
• 25:13, Jesus said Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour
• Mark 13:31–33 Jesus said “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. ³² “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. ³³ “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

And Jesus wasn’t alone in understanding this,

• The other NT writers understood the Day of the Lord as referring to the return of Jesus Christ
• Paul expected the Day of Jesus Christ to be the time of Christ’s return, when the whole world would be judged & condemned, but Christians will be saved, by God’s grace & found pure and blameless, and so Paul urged his readers, to live faithfully and righteously.

Now, Meanwhile all the over in 2Peter 3:10-18

• Peter promises,10, The Day of the Lord, will Come!!
• It will bring total destruction of the Heavens & the Earth
• It will bring a New Heavens and a New Earth
• But, All of this is foundational, it’s the Setup, the background, the Reason: for Peter’s main point!

• 11, since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct & godliness,

2nd MP: Beloved, not only do we need to know the reality of Christ’s return, we need to be Ready for Christ’s Return!

• Scripture asks us: What sought of people ought you to be!??
• We are to be Ready for Christ to Return!
• Peter, about to die for his faith, uses the last few lines, of his last letter, to challenge us all, as to the sort of life we are to be living, in light of Christ’s Return
• Bros & Sis, Are you… Am I ready for Christ’s Return, be it today or this week, or next month, or 20 yrs from now?

1) We Ought to be living in Holy Conduct & Godliness

• Christ will come, and He will judge his enemies, who live sinful,
• wicked, ungodly, unrighteous lives.
• Remember, Our Lord Jesus Christ came & died…to pay the penalty for our sin… which we all commit
• He died, so that we would not have to pay it ourselves, in hell, for all eternity,
• He died, so that we can enjoy unending, unfading joy in Christ’s presence, for all of that same eternity.
  • Eternity… Unending…. Joy OR Torment!
• Remember, Christ has saved us fr. God’s wrath, & sin, & death
• Christ has saved us, to live Godly, Holy, & Righteously
• We will not… we must not… take the Grace of God as reason, as excuse to live in sin, that God’s grace might abound! (Rom.6:1-2)
• Bro’s & Sis, just as God, who calls us is Holy, so we ought to be holy in all our conduct, living in readiness for Christ to return!
• Would those 2 terms be accurate to describe your/my life?

vs.12, “looking for & hastening the coming of the Day of God…”

2) We Ought to be Looking for and Hastening the Day of God

• We look for His return, in two ways:
• We look for the coming of Christ in prayer:
• 6:10, Jesus taught Disciples/Us, Pray: Your K-dom Come!
• We look for it in Prayer, plead for it in Prayer
• We hasten the Day of God by preaching and calling men and women to repent of sin, and trust in Christ for salvation
• Acts 3:19, Peter preached the gospel, calling on men-women:
• “to repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; ²⁰ and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you”
• We Hasten His coming by the preaching of the Gospel
• As we preach the gospel, and God saves His sheep, gathering them in, the day draws ever nearer to when Christ will return
• Its lives of Godliness, Holiness, Obedient Prayer & Preaching that are being lived in readiness for His Return.
• But, wait, there’s even more

Notice there are 4 Commands in vss. 14-17 (we’ll look at just two)

• 14, “…be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
• 15, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation;

3) We Ought/Must Be Diligent to be Christ-Like

• This command has to do w/ our personal relationship w/ Christ
• Be Diligent, meaning: Take care, Labour, Exercise every caution to be found by Christ…
• Paul said: 2:12, Work out your salvation, w/ fear-trembling
• He said: 13:5, Examine yourselves to see if you’re in: faith
  • Examine the fruit of your own life (not other’s lives)
  • Do we bear the fruit that says: I belong to Christ
  • Do our attitudes, our reactions, our words display Christ, or the old sinful self?
• As the Day of the Lord approaches, Now is the time to examine, and to be sure that you are indeed, “In Christ”,
• will you be found by Him, in Peace with God?

Vs.14, “be diligent 2B found by Him in peace, spotless/blameless

• We’re to exercise every effort to be morally pure
• We are saved by Christ, to be morally pure, to put off all sin, and the habits that so easily defile us, and render us unfit for every good work,
• Bros & sis, Lets Us Put them off!
• Paul said in 3:10, We’re saved, by God’s grace, thru faith, to put on the new man, which is being renewed to a true knowledge, according to the image of the One who created him.
• PTL, It is God who works in us, both to will and to do for His good pleasure… coz we could not do it on our own
• But God is at work in us to accomplish these things, and so we must co-operate, with God, in his work, submitting to it.

We are to be found, by Christ, at His return, “Spotless & blameless” –

• those are the same two Gr. words Peter uses to describe the Lord Jesus H-self, in 1Peter1:19
• Bros & Sis, Lets us be diligent, striving with an intense labour
  • to put off the old sinful person, and
  • to put on the New man – to become Christ-like!
• To Follow Jesus, isn’t just a cool way of describing: Christian life, it lit. means to live-like, look-like, sound-like Christ,
• to be the visible repress. of Christ to the world in which we live
• Christ Is Returning – the Day of the Lord is Coming!
• Be Ready for His return by striving to become like Christ!

4) We Ought/Must Be Busy in Evangelism

• 15, Regard the patience of God as Salvation
• In 2Peter.3;1, he states that this is his 2nd letter to them
• 1Peter is the 1st, and he’s writing to Gentile believers in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia & Bithynia (1Peter 1:1),
• How do we know they’re Gentile?
• In 4:3, Peter describes his readers as those who have had sufficient time in the past for them “to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.”
• Peter is highly unlikely to describe Jews, as living in such sinful, Idolatrous behaviour, prior to being saved.
• Back to 2Peter 3:15….
• Becoz of God’s Patience in sending Christ to return, the gospel has come to them, as Gentiles, as well as to the Jews…
• He said in 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.
• Becoz God is patient, with them, they came to know the truth
• Becoz God is patient, every one of us came to know the truth of the Gospel – Praise the Lord!!
• Becoz God is still patient, millions more have come to know the truth of the gospel, since the time of Peter writing this letter
• Becoz God is patient, there is indeed salvation available to so many more people, who do not yet know Christ as Saviour!
• Bros & Sis, Regard the Lord’s patience as the hope of salvation
• Regard the patience of God as opportunity for more and more to come to faith in Christ for Salvation!
• Christ is Surely Returning – The Day of the Lord is Coming
• So, Christian, Let’s Get Busy with the Gospel!

• For those sitting here in this room, listen to me, please
• How many times have you heard the message?
• God is being patient with you!
• Listen, Believe, & obey the message

{The Great Message of the Gospel is this}

• The Bible says: God is Holy, Righteous, just and good.
• God designed & Created us to experience un-hindered joy and delight, by glorifying Him, thru obedience to His Word.
• But, Every One of us has disobeyed God & Failed to glorify Him,
• God justly condemned us to eternal Death for our Disobedience

So we all need to be saved fr God’s wrath, & we cannot save ourselves.

• So, Jesus Christ has come: He is truly God & truly man, the only, unique Son of God, perfect, sinless & spotless, and righteous; God in the Flesh
• Jesus Christ has taken our sin on Himself.
• He suffered and died on a cross, in our place, to fully exhaust & extinguish God’s wrath against us.
• Christ has been raised fr death, proving He is the Son of God.
• Christ now calls us every one of us, who all need to be saved:
  • to turn away from sin,
  • to trust Him fully to save us,
  • to follow Him as His Disciples & Servants,
• So, Come & Seek: Lord diligently; U will find Him.
• Come to Christ, obediently, trusting God to keep His Promises,
• Come and find rest for your soul.

• God is Patient & God is Gracious, His Grace is Infinite in its capacity, there is a super-abundance of grace to save
• But God’s Grace & Patience will come to an end, and God will say that is enough
• Christ will receive the command from His Father to return
• The Day of the Lord will Come
• God’s enemies will be judged and condemned
• God’s People will be saved
• Are You Ready?
• Christ could return today, tomorrow, or 2,000 yrs from now –
• Are You Ready?

Time for quiet reflection and response

Closing Prayer.