2 PETER 3:1-92009 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 2 Peter 3:1-9

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2009. As we head into chapter 3 of 2 Peter this morning, we're beginning to look at the things regarding the end times. As we studied chapter 1 of 2 Peter, we saw Peter...

calling us to diligently seeking after God, to know God, to give all diligence, he said, to grow in our relationship with God. And so that's been the theme thus far, and even we'll touch on it again next week as Peter will conclude with the importance of growing in our relationship with God. It's the thrust, the

of this letter that he is writing, that we would pursue a relationship with God. Not casually, not off and on, but to really live our lives in order to know God. Because that is the ultimate call of God in our lives. And in knowing God, Peter encouraged us that we would have everything we need for life and godliness. Knowing God is really what it's all about.

As we went on into chapter 2 of 2 Peter, he began to share and give a warning about false teachers. We need to give all diligence to know God, but there are those who rise up within the body of Christ to lead people astray.

to distract people from pursuing this relationship with God. These false teachers rise up and draw people, instead of to the Lord, they draw people unto themselves. And they seek to deceive and to accomplish their own goals and their own purposes. They're really living according to their own desires and forsaking the will of God.

And now as we continue on into chapter 3, Peter begins to deal with the subject of end times, the last days and the things that are going to take place. And again, as we go into this, we see the importance of diligently walking with God and knowing God and growing in our relationship with Him. As we look at chapter 3 this morning, verses 1 through 9, there's four points I want to share with you.

that we can take to heart and that we can consider from what Peter is saying. First of all, he encourages us, he challenges us to be mindful of the word. Look at verse 1 with me. He says, Peter is saying,

Now as he's going into this new subject, he says, look, I'm writing this second time to you. And in both of these letters, he says, my intent and my desire is to remind you. We've seen already in chapter 1 the importance of remembering and reminding. There in chapter 1 verses 12 through 15, Peter said over and over again that he intends to remind us.

about what God has said, about the truths that we know and the things that we're established in. He says, it's right as long as I'm in this tent.

Peter says, my life purpose, as long as I have breath, is to remind you about the truth, to remind you about what God has said. And then he went on in verse 15 to say, not only that, but even after I'm gone, I've set up things so that you will have reminders, even after I'm not here to remind you, that you would be reminded of what God has said about the truth and that you would continue on in your relationship with God.

It really is not about something new, something that's never been taught or never been heard, but it's about remembering what has already been revealed by God through His Word.

It's not even so much the things that we've heard. We've read a lot of the scriptures and we can think to ourselves, well, I've read that already. But the point is not having read it once or heard that message before, but really the point is how much we remember and live by. And so Peter is writing to, he says, to stir up your pure minds by way of reminder. He's writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to stir up

our minds, to remind us about what's important, about what God has said. Jesus told us in John chapter 14 verse 26 that he was going to send the Holy Spirit upon those who believe. For those who follow him, they will receive his Holy Spirit and he says the Holy Spirit will teach you all things and bring to remembrance the things that I've said to you.

Part of the role of the Holy Spirit in our life is to remind us, to bring to our remembrance the things that Jesus said. And so here's Peter, writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, doing just that, stirring up our minds, reminding us about what Jesus has said and about what God has revealed of himself in his word.

He says, I want to stir up your minds. I like that idea of stirring up. It's taking those things back to the surface that have been buried by all of the clutter. Our minds can be quickly and easily filled with clutter and junk. Things that really have no business in our mind or just things that take up space because we're going to be thinking. Our minds are going to be full of something that

Peter says, here's what I want to do. I want to take those things that have been buried by life, by busyness, by whatever may come into your mind, and I want to bring them back to the surface. That you would be mindful, that you would remember what is important. So he says, I want to stir up your pure minds.

Now I might think that a messed up mind is the one that needs to be reminded and stirred up. But Peter said the pure mind, that's who I'm looking to stir up. That's who I'm looking to remind. Those who are genuinely seeking God are the ones that Peter is writing to that they would be reminded. This word pure, it means sincere.

A sincere mind is what Peter is talking about. Now keep in mind the context. He's just been talking about these false teachers who will come within the church and lead people astray. They are not part of the body of Christ, but they dwell within the body of Christ. They are not really believers in God, but they pretend to be.

As opposed to those false teachers, Peter says, I want to write to those who have pure minds, who are sincere. The false teachers are not sincerely following God. They're not sincere in their service, or they're just pretending, they're faking it, putting on a show in order to obtain what they want. And we saw that the last couple of weeks as we talked about the false teachers.

Peter is not trying to stir up the remembrance of the false teachers. He is trying to stir up our minds. If you desire to know God, if you have a sincere heart and that you want to have a relationship with Him, Peter says, you're the one I'm talking to. I want to remind you. Your mind needs to be stirred up so that those things that have been buried will be brought back to the forefront.

He's stirring up the minds of those who sincerely want to know God. Is that a good description of you this morning? Do you sincerely want to know God? If it is, then you're in a good place and you're needing to be reminded this morning of what Peter is going to share. What does he want to remind us about? He goes on to tell us in verse 2.

He says that you 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 and Savior. Here's Peter's goal in writing this letter. He says, look, I'm writing this to remind you. Remind me of what? He says, I want your life and your mind to be filled with the word of God.

He's reminding us, stirring up our minds, so that we would be mindful of what God has said in His Word. He's reminding us of what God has said about relationship with Him, about knowing Him, about walking with Him. Even as we looked just a few minutes ago in Deuteronomy chapter 6, what did God say? He says, here's the command, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

How does that happen? How does that take place? What does that look like? He said, these commands that I'm giving you shall be in your heart and you shall teach them to your children and you shall talk about them wherever you go. The passage even goes on to say, you're going to write them on your doorposts and put them on your walls. The importance of the Word of God. That's what Peter is trying to do. Remind us of how important the Word of God is to us. That we would be mindful of the things that God has said in His Word.

Specifically, he says, the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets. What are these words that were spoken before by the holy prophets? What is Peter referring to? Who are these prophets that he's talking about? Well, maybe prophets like Moses or Daniel or Jeremiah, Isaiah, Elijah. We could go on and on. These are the prophets of the Old Testament.

Peter is saying, I want you to be mindful. I'm stirring up your mind that you would remember and that you would fill your mind with the Old Testament, with those things that have been written and recorded for us that were spoken by men of God. Sometimes Christians really just like to stay in the New Testament and don't really delve too much into the Old Testament.

Peter says, look, I want you to remember. I want you to be mindful. I want you to be thinking about and considering. I want your mind to be full with those things that the prophets have said. Remember what they talked about. Remember what they shared. Remember the message that they gave. Their words are recorded for us in the Old Testament. Peter says, that's what I want your mind to be filled with. That's why I'm writing to you. I want to stir up your minds that you would be filled with the Scriptures.

Not only the Old Testament though, he goes on to say, as well as the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior. So not only the words of the holy prophets, but the words of the apostles. Where do we find the words of the apostles or the commandments of the apostles? Where are the words of Peter and John and Paul? Where do we find those words? Well, of course, they're recorded for us in the New Testament. Here we have before us

The words of the holy prophets, the commands and words of the apostles, and Peter's goal is that our minds would be filled with these things. He says that you would be mindful, that your mind would be full, that you would be remembering, contemplating, considering that these are the things that would be going through your mind all the time. The things that God has revealed to us in his word.

And I want to take this opportunity to do as I do every year and encourage you to join us reading through the scriptures in a year. Every year I encourage, especially towards the end of the year, of course you can start reading the Bible anytime and I encourage you to do so. But in January we'll start again in the book of Genesis. And what we do is we read three or four chapters a day.

And by the end of the year, we've gone through the entire Bible, Old Testament as well as the New Testament. It's a great way to be mindful of the words of the holy prophets and the commandments of the apostles. It's a great way to be refreshed and reminded about what God has said and revealed of himself in his word. It's also a great way to look at what God says in proportion to what he has said.

focusing not just on our favorite subjects, but getting the whole counsel of God, hearing all of what God has to say. And so I put schedules every month on the back table if you'd like to join us for reading through the Bible in a year. And again, in January, we'll start back in Genesis and continue on. And I encourage you to pray and commit.

As the Lord leads. Not necessarily everybody has to do this. This is not the only way to be mindful. But it's a great opportunity to remember what God has said. To see how He has revealed Himself. Whether you use the Bible in a year plan or something else, the exhortation is to spend time in the Word of God. Fill your mind with it. You're going to fill your mind with something. It's going to be full of something.

Fill it. Make a choice. Decide to be stirred up, to be filled with the Word of God. Because remember, everything that you need for life and godliness is found in the knowledge of Him. Everything that you need and are longing for and thirsting for, it's found in knowing Jesus Christ. And the scriptures tell us, Jesus said in John 5.39,

That the Word of God, the Scriptures, testify of Him. You want to know God? You want to know Jesus Christ? Oh, it's an incredible and awesome place to start. The Word of God, because they testify of Him. These words are His words to us, revealing Himself to us, that we might know Him and walk in relationship with Him. And so Peter says, be mindful of the Word. Be mindful of the Scriptures.

Secondly, he goes on to tell us that scoffers are going to come. You need to know that scoffers will come. Look at verse 3. He says, knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts. Scoffers are going to come, Peter says, and that's what you need to know. He's really dealing with our brains this morning. He says, look, you need to be mindful. You need to know. And then later he's going to tell us not to forget scoffers.

Where's your head at? Is it in the things of God? He says, here's what you need to know. You need to understand that scoffers are going to come.

As you are filling your mind with the things of God and the word of God, you need to know that there's going to be those who oppose, who mock and who ridicule the things of God and those who follow him. Knowing this first, that scoffers will come. They're going to come, he says. Now a scoffer is someone who mocks, someone who ridicules, someone who makes fun of, someone who refuses to believe.

There are going to be those, Peter says, who scoff, who ridicule, who make fun of the things of God, the word of God, those who believe in God. They're going to come, he says, in the last days. The last days is a reference to those days that are preceding the day of the Lord.

We'll deal with this a little bit more next week. But the day of the Lord refers to an extended time period, not a 24-hour period. But the day of the Lord begins with Jesus returning for His church. We call it the rapture of the church. In 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 15 explains that we're going to be caught up. The church is going to be caught up immediately, instantly, to be with the Lord.

We're going to be with Him forevermore from that point on. Meanwhile, here on earth, all hell is going to break loose. There's going to be the tribulation period. Trouble like the world has never known, like the world has never seen before. The seven-year period is going to be intense judgment that's poured out upon the earth. At the end of that time, Jesus is going to return. He's going to set foot on planet earth once again.

And he's going to establish his kingdom and reign here on the earth for a thousand years. And at the end of that time will be the final judgment. That's the time period that's referred to in the day of the Lord. The return of Jesus for the church, the tribulation period, the second coming of Jesus and the millennial kingdom. It's the end days. It's the last days. It's the end times that this earth will experience.

The last days that Peter's referring to are the days that lead up to this day of the Lord, that lead up to, for us, our focus, the rapture of the church. These last days, the days that are leading up to the time that we're caught up to be with Jesus, Peter says, in those days, scoffers will come. We are living in the last days.

Understand that Jesus can return at any time for His church. The rapture can happen at any moment. There's no prophetic event that must take place before Jesus returns. He could come back today. He could catch us up in the next couple of minutes. He could do it tomorrow if He wanted to. He could have done it yesterday if He wished. At any time, at any moment, He can return.

We are living in the last days. These last days began with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church back in Acts chapter 2. There Peter explains, quoting from the prophet Joel, that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. The Holy Spirit has been poured out upon the church. That's why we've been given the command to be filled with the Spirit because the Holy Spirit is being poured out. And so we must be filled.

We must walk in relationship with God because we're living in the last days. As we get closer to the return of Jesus, the signs of the times will intensify. The last days will become more and more apparent. The Bible compares it to labor pains. And you are probably a little bit familiar with how labor pains work. At first, they're spread out.

They take some time, but then as it gets closer to the delivery, closer to the fulfillment of that pregnancy, they get closer and closer together and more intense. In the same way, we see the signs of the times happening. And they're getting closer and closer together and more intense. Peter says, in the last days, scoffers will come. There's always been scoffers. And as we head towards these final days before Jesus returns...

They're getting more and more intense and they will continue to do so. There's going to be scoffers, many who come mocking, scoffing, ridiculing the Word of God, the things of God and those who believe in God. And we definitely see that today. But I like what Spurgeon has to say about this. He said...

Every time a blasphemer or a scoffer opens his mouth to deny the truth of Revelation, he will help to confirm in us our conviction of the very truth which he denies. Spurgeon explains, look, scoffers are going to come, but when they come and when they speak and when they scoff and ridicule and mock,

They're confirming the word that we already believe. They're proving God's word to be true because Peter said, scoffers will come. They're proving the word which they are trying to deny to be true.

So we need to know, Peter says, that scoffers will come. Now, scoffers come, Peter says, walking according to their own lusts. Here's the mark of the scoffer. It's the same mark, really, of the false teacher. So they can be one and the same, but they don't have to be. The scoffer is one who walks according to their own lusts, which means...

They regard themselves instead of God. The word lust, many times we equate it with things of sexual impurity or sexual immorality. But the word lust is not actually limited to that arena alone. Lust, it literally just means a strong craving or desire. And so, although it includes sexual immorality and impurity, it also includes covetousness, greed,

It includes the lust for, the thirst for power, for control. It includes those strong desires of our sinful nature. Scoffers will come, not walking according to God and His word and His plan. They would not be able to say, as Jesus prayed in the garden, God, your will be done and not mine.

No, their attitude and their heart is, my will be done. I want to accomplish the things that I desire. I'm trying to do and fulfill my own self and my own needs and what I think is important, completely disregarding what God said is important and how God has called us to live. And so they walk not according to the Spirit, but according to the Spirit.

Not according to the word of God, not according to the things of God, but they walk according to their own lusts, fulfilling themselves regarding their own values and opinions higher than God's. And we can see that by what they say. Look at verse 4. Here's what the scoffers will say. He says,

All things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. So the scoffers will come, not walking according to the word or the spirit, but walking according to their own desires. And their excuse, the reason why they walk the way that they walk and do the things that they do and scoff the way that they scoff is because their attitude, their thought is, hey, Jesus is not coming back.

They scoff and they ridicule and they say, you guys are crazy. Where is this promise of Jesus' return? Where is the promise of His coming? Christians have been talking about that for the last 2,000 years. Where is it? Let's see it. Mocking and ridiculing those people.

who believe in God. They continue to say, since the fathers fell asleep, ever since the very beginning, in other words, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. This is one of the things that scoffers will come saying, that all things continue as they were.

Basically, they're saying this, there's no divine intervention. God doesn't intervene in man's history. He doesn't relate to mankind. They're saying God has no part in history. All things just continue as they have from the beginning. They're also saying there's no such thing as divine judgment. We'll see Peter deal with that in just a few moments. But they're saying that God doesn't judge. He doesn't intervene. He doesn't relate to mankind.

He's not returning. He's not coming back. They're denying the existence of God and the fact that God desires relationship with you. He did intervene. He sent His only begotten Son because He loved the world. That whoever would believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. He did bring judgment upon the whole world. We know it as the flood. Again, we'll deal with that in just a few moments. But these scoffers will come mocking and ridiculing.

The return of God. The fact that God intervenes or plays a part in history. We find many of these type of scoffers and mockers in the realm of science. Those who hold fast to and promote the idea of evolution. As we've been going through the Truth Project on Sunday evenings, we've dealt with this pretty extensively and it's been just amazing to see

how there is really no evidence for evolution. In fact, the evidence is opposed to and contrary to, but those who hold fast to it refuse to see the truth. In the video, one guy is quoted. I really like the quote. It stuck out to me.

I was reminded of it as I was preparing for this morning. It's a quote from Richard Dawkins, who is an evolutionist. He says, It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid, or insane. And he adds, or wicked, but I'd rather not think about that.

So here's the view of this evolutionist. He's a scoffer, by the way. He's a mocker. He says it's absolutely safe to say. You have no idea, or not no idea, but you don't have to worry about stepping over the line if you meet somebody who does not believe in evolution. You are safe in saying that that person is ignorant or stupid or insane or wicked. That's a scoffer right there.

He says all things have continued from the very beginning. Happened by chance. And there's this evolutionary process and God hasn't intervened and God isn't a part. And they go through these great lengths. Why? We'll get to that in just a moment. But basically it's because they do not want to face the fact that there is a God and that they are accountable to Him.

Peter says, look, in the last days, scoffers are going to come. And we can look around and we can see scoffers, those who mock and ridicule the Word of God, the return of Jesus Christ, the things that God has promised through His Word. And for you and I, we need to understand, as we see these signs of the times, that we must be ready. Turn with me for just a moment to Luke chapter 12. We'll come back to 2 Peter in just a moment. But in Luke chapter 12, Jesus says,

He shares a parable about a master and a couple of servants. He shares the parable because he wants us to know the importance of being ready and not thinking like the scoffers, where is the promise of his coming? Not thinking that he's not going to return. In Luke chapter 12, verse 40, Jesus said this, Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Verse 45. Verse 45.

Here Jesus explains, "Look, you need to be ready. The Son of Man is coming.

And He's coming at an hour you do not expect. He's coming at a time that you are not anticipating it. You are going to be caught off guard and surprised. And so you need to be ready. You need to be prepared. And He gives the idea, the parallel of a master who has gone away. And He leaves His servants to follow His instructions and do what He told them to do. And one servant does.

He's faithful. He gives the household food according to the proper season and takes care and is careful to fulfill his master's instructions. But he says, if that servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming. Where is the coming of the Lord? Where is this promised second coming? The scoffers say. He says, this servant...

If he says, my master is delaying his coming, so he begins to live according to his own lusts, walk according to his own desires, beating his servants, eating and drinking and being drunk, just fulfilling his own desires, living after his own thoughts and pleasures. Jesus said then, when the master returns, well, he will be given his portion with the unbelievers.

Jesus is saying, look, you need to be ready. The mockers, the scoffers, they'll come. They'll come with the attitude, where is the second coming of Jesus? Is he really coming back? Jesus says, I want you to not be like the scoffers.

mocking and ridiculing, saying, ah, Jesus isn't coming back. He's delaying His coming. It could be 200 years from now. He wants us to be ready right now to be expecting the return of Jesus Christ, to be looking forward to it. Let's go back to 2 Peter 3. Not like the mockers who say, look, all things have continued. It's not going to happen right now. Instead, Jesus says, no, you need to be prepared. You need to be ready because scoffers are going to come.

And they're going to try to make you feel, what did Richard Dawkins say? Ignorant, stupid, insane, or wicked for believing God and His Word. Don't be fooled. Don't be bullied. Be assured. They're simply confirming that the Word of God is true. So be ready. Jesus is coming back. As we go on looking at verses 5 through 7, now we see Peter goes on to explain why

about scoffers that scoffers willfully forget the word of God. Scoffers willfully forget. Look at verse 5. He says, For this they willfully forget, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water. Here Peter is explaining a little bit more about the scoffers. He says, look, they willfully forget. This is important to know.

Scoffers make a choice. They make a decision. They choose to forget what God has done. They choose to forget God. They choose to forget His Word. It's a choice that they make. It's tragic, but some people make that choice. They know the truth, but they choose to turn from it. Paul the Apostle explained this as well in Romans chapter 1.

where he's talking about the judgment of God that is coming and how the wrath of God that's revealed is coming against ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth. They know the truth, but they suppress it. They push it back. I don't want to think about that. I don't want to deal with that. I don't want to believe in that. Why do they suppress the truth? Because they don't want to surrender to God.

Paul went on in Romans 1, verse 19. He says that what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. In other words, God has revealed Himself. He's shown Himself to them, but they suppress the truth. They willfully forget, Peter says. It's a choice that they make to refuse to hear what God has said. Because they will not submit to Him. They refuse to Him.

He says, scoffers willfully forget, and three things they willfully forget. First of all, they forget that God is the creator. They forget that God is the one who brought the universe into existence. He says, they willfully forget that by the word of God, the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water. We read about this in Genesis chapter 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He said, let there be light.

And there was light. He spoke the universe into existence. By the word of God, the heavens were evolved. By the word of God, the heavens were brought into existence. And by the word of God, the earth stood out of the water. Again, Genesis chapter 1.

God said, let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place and let dry land appear. And it was so. God called the dry land earth and the gathering together of the waters he called seas. And God saw that it was good. God spoke and the world was formed and fashioned and created. He brought it into existence by his word. Scoffers willfully forget that God has done this. It's evident that

As Paul said in Romans 1, God's revealed it to them. But they refuse. They refuse to believe it. They refuse to receive it. Because they will not believe in God. Not only that, but they forget willfully that God judged the world. Look at verse 6. It says, Again, what do they say?

Where is this coming? Ever since the beginning, all things have continued since they have. They discontinued. God doesn't intervene. God doesn't bring judgment. We should just live our lives however we want to live them. That's the mentality in the heart of the scoffers because they willfully forget that God, in fact, did judge the world. You can read about it in Genesis 6-8 where God, because of the wickedness of man,

Seeing that man, his heart was evil continually, God said, I'm going to bring judgment upon the world with a flood. He preserved Noah, Noah's family, but the rest of the inhabitants of the earth were judged because of wickedness. Peter used it as an example earlier in chapter 2 to remind us that God knows how to take care of those who are wicked. He's able to judge those who rebel against him.

But God says, I'm going to save Noah. And so he gives Noah some instructions. He builds an ark. The world full of scoffers. What is this rain which you talk about? What are you talking about? The world is going to be flooded. You're crazy. Just like the world today says, you're crazy. Jesus isn't coming back. There's no way that he created the universe. Scoffers. There's plenty of evidence that the world underwent scoffers.

A worldwide flood. But they willfully forget it. When I was in Bible college quite a while back, there was a guy, and I don't remember if he actually visited the campus and taught or if we watched a video and he was sharing this, but his name was Ken Ham.

And he was an interesting guy. He was a scientist and he, you know, of course, went around and his ministry was refuting evolution and showing the evidence of creation. And one of the issues he dealt with was the flood.

And so he talks about with the flood, and I remember it because he said it over and over and over again, probably 20 times in his presentation to us as students. He says, what would you expect to find if there was a worldwide flood? He says, well, we would expect to find then millions of dead things buried in rock layers laid down by water all over the earth.

And then he would go on. And surprisingly, you know what we find? Millions of dead things buried in rock layers, laid down by water all over the earth. And over and over he would repeat this. What would you expect to find if there was a worldwide flood? The evidence is overwhelming. You know what we find in the world? What you would expect to find if there was a worldwide flood. But they willfully forget. They choose. They say, no, I'm not going to believe that.

They refuse to believe that. For them, those scientists who oppose, those who reject the word of God, anything is better to believe than the idea of the flood. Anything for them is better to believe than the idea that God spoke the universe into existence. Because if those things are true, then they must be accountable to God. They must surrender to Him. Then they will have to stand before Him and give an account of their life.

And that is something that scoffers will not accept. And so they willfully forget. They suppress the truth. No matter how educated they are, no matter how well they have studied, no matter what area they've studied,

The evidence all points to God. That was another really good point that was awesome in the Truth Project series. I forget the actual guy who said this, but he was not a believer. He's an evolutionist. And he would teach his students, look, whenever you're studying these things, you're looking in the microscope, you're studying these systems, you have to remind yourself, it was not designed. It was not designed. It was not designed. You have to always tell yourself that. Why? Well, because it looks like it was designed.

Because God created. He spoke it into existence. But they refused. The scoffers, they say, we can't. And so they tell themselves, it wasn't designed. There wasn't a flood. There is no God. He didn't create. It was evolution. They suppress the truth. They purposely choose to forget that God spoke the world into existence. And that God, in dealing with the rebellion of man, judged the inhabitants of the earth.

Going on in verse 7, he says, So scoffers willfully forget that God is the creator. They willfully forget that God judged the world. And they willfully forget that God preserves the world for a final judgment. They willfully forget. God created the world by his word. He spoke it into existence.

God fulfilled His word. He told Noah, I'm going to flood the earth. He fulfilled His word and flooded the world. And the universe continues to exist right now because of the word of God. It's being preserved until the end. The final judgment. It's a judgment of fire and we'll deal with that a little bit more next week as we continue on in verse 10 and following. But the point is that scoffers, they come...

saying, ah, where's the coming of Jesus? It's not going to happen. All things continue as they have from the beginning. They willfully forget that God is, that God created. They willfully forget His Word. It's apparent to them. They know the truth, but they refuse to believe it because they will not surrender to God. Point number four we find in verses 8 and 9, and that is do not forget God's patience. Do not forget God's patience.

So look at verse 8 with me. He says, But beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. So we're to be mindful, we're to know, and we're to not forget. Do not forget, Peter says, this one thing. What are we not to forget? What is this one thing that we must keep in our minds, that we must not forget? Peter says, don't forget God's patience.

He explains it by looking at the perspective on time. He says, look, with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years. And a thousand years is as one day to the Lord. God's perspective on time is slightly different than ours. Now, what Peter is saying here is not exactly meant to be a formula that, you know, one day, equal sign, thousand years, one.

But what he's saying is that God's perspective is entirely different than ours. Time is a relative thing and it's relative to your perspective at the time that you're experiencing it or at the time that you're looking back on it. Have you ever had an hour feel like a year? I have. Most of the time it's in the dentist chair. Those hours take forever. They last a long time, much longer than 60 minutes.

But there's other hours in my life that are just gone in a flash. It feels like a minute. Remember in the Old Testament when Jacob was in love with Rachel and he worked for Laban seven years for her. And it said those seven years seemed just as like one day to him because he was so much in love with her. Those seven years, they were seven years, but to him it just seemed like one day because he was in love with her. God has a different perspective on time than we do.

The scoffers come saying, you guys have been talking about that for 2,000 years. Because for 2,000 years, well, 2,000 years sounds like a long time for us. So I'm 31 years old. And I compare that to 2,000 years. That's my perspective. So I'm 31. 2,000 years. Wow, that's a long time. Jesus hasn't come back yet. That's a lot of time. But that's my perspective.

That's man's perspective. Now you look at it from God's perspective. Okay, I've existed for all eternity. 2,000 years. That's just a couple of days. That's like nothing. That's no time at all. That's the point Peter's making. One day, it's like 1,000 years and 1,000 years is like a day. He's not bound by the same perspective on time that we are.

Do you remember the day or the time period when you transitioned from VCR to DVD and how exciting it was to be able to skip ahead or to skip back? Were you the kind of person who rewound the tape at the end of the movie? Or did you let the next person who watched it rewind the movie? I hated that because I'm wanting to watch the movie and the first thing you got to do is wait 10 minutes for it to rewind.

And for me, that 10 minutes, well, it seemed like a really long time. It was like torture. And so you try to stop it, right? You play, oh, that's like the middle of the movie. Okay, stop. And you waste more time trying to save some time by not letting it go all the way back to the beginning. God is not bound by time the way that we are. We're stuck in time. We can't escape it. We can't have the full perspective on time. But God's outside of time. He can see the whole scope of eternity.

So to him, a thousand years, yeah, it's like a day. And a day is like a thousand years because, well, he has his own perspective. The scoffer says, ah, it's been so long. God's not coming back. God says, it's only been 2,000 years. That's nothing. I'm coming in my time. According to my timeline, God says. For us, it's a long time, but God's eternal. And so he tells us in verse 9, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness.

And so Peter's point is, look, God's perspective is entirely different than ours, so don't forget that, because if you forget that, well, you might begin to think that God's slack in His promises. You might think, yeah, God, what's taking so long? How come you're allowing all of this wickedness to continue in the earth? How come you're allowing... Why haven't you come back already? Why haven't you come back already?

The scoffers will come and cause us to question. Is he really coming back? It's been so long. Maybe he's forgotten. Maybe he's just not there. Maybe it's all just made up. Peter says, no, no, don't forget. God has a different perspective. 2,000 years, it's not very long for him. Instead, he's not slack concerning his promise. He's going to be faithful to it. He's going to fulfill it. Instead of being slack concerning his promise, here's what he is. He's long-suffering toward us.

He's long-suffering toward us. Because God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God is not desiring to judge people. He doesn't get excited about bringing judgment upon those who reject Him. He said to Ezekiel, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God's desire is for everyone to be saved. God's desire is

It's for all mankind to come to repentance. For every person, for every individual to be forgiven and to have right relationship with Him. That's God's desire. That's what God wants. He won't force it upon anyone. He doesn't make you receive Him. But He offers to everyone.

Because He loves the world. He gave His only begotten Son that whoever would believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. He makes the opportunity available to everyone, to whoever will believe. You don't have to perish. You can have everlasting life. God is not lazy. He's not powerless. He's not delaying His coming. He's long-suffering. He's using time to give people an opportunity.

to receive his offer of forgiveness, his offer of salvation. He's using time to give people an opportunity to get right with him, to have the hope of eternity. The delay is not because of God's slackness, but his patience. If Jesus had returned last year, where would you have been? Would you have been raptured with the church? Or perhaps this last year you've

had the opportunity because God waited, because He's long-suffering toward us, because He puts up with us for a long time so that we have the opportunity to be saved. Perhaps this last year you have come to know God and you've been born again. If Jesus had returned 10 years ago, where would you be? God has used this last 10 years to bring people, to give them an opportunity to receive Him. If Jesus comes back today,

Where will you be? This day is God's opportunity. It's God's gift to you to get right with Him. He's using this day, this time, putting up with us for a long time. Yes, there's wickedness. And we look around and we say, man, the world's corrupt and wicked. How could God put up with this? Why hasn't He returned yet? Why doesn't He just unleash the judgment that the world deserves? Because He's holding it back. He's suffering a long time.

to give you the opportunity to get right with Him. Because He doesn't want anyone to perish. That's not His desire. That's not His will. He wants all to come to repentance, to receive the free gift of eternal life. God's Word will be fulfilled. He is coming back in His time. He's not impatient. He's not slacking. He's patiently waiting for the perfect time, waiting for those who will come to repentance. And as believers,

We look forward to the return of Jesus Christ. The scriptures tell us to hasten the coming of the Lord. How can we do that? I'll tell you how we can do that. Hasten His return. Speed up His return by sharing the gospel. Because the reason He has not returned yet is so that people could have the opportunity to get to know Him. So you want to speed up the return? You want to see Him come quickly? Share the good news with the world around you. We've been given this commission. It's a great commission.

to make disciples, to share the good news. God's waiting for those who will turn to Him. He's long-suffering, not willing that any should perish. So look for those opportunities that God brings to you. Because He's not willing for any to perish, He's looking for opportunities, or He's giving you opportunities to reach out to and to share with those who are perishing that they would have the opportunity to turn and get right with Him.

Or as you're listening to this, maybe you're not where you need to be. Maybe you've not been walking with the Lord. Maybe you've had the attitude of the scoffer. Ah, the Lord's delaying is coming. All things continue. Maybe you've suppressed the truth in your own life and you've chosen to forget what you know to be true. God exists. He created the world. We're going to stand before Him one day. He offers to you the opportunity of everlasting life

He offers to you forgiveness because of what Jesus Christ did for us upon the cross. He sent His Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This moment, this day, God has been patient, long-suffering to give you the opportunity to get right with Him. Would you take this time? Would you take this opportunity? Make the choice. Instead of choosing to forget, choose to remember.

how much God loves you and what He has done for you. Let's pray. God, as we reflect back on these words that Peter has shared with us, I pray, Lord, that You would help us to be mindful of them. Lord, that there would be stirred up within our minds Your truth, Your words, Your message of hope, Your comfort, Your peace, Your love. Help us, Lord, to fill our minds with the things of You and Your Word and not the things of this world.

God, I pray that you would help us to know and be prepared for those scoffers that will come, that they would not catch us by surprise, they would not shake us in our foundation. Lord, we would hold fast knowing that with you, a day is like a thousand years. Help us not to forget, Lord, your perspective on time is entirely different than ours. You're not late, you're right on time. And so help us, Lord, in the meantime, to be good stewards, servants that serve

are being obedient to our Master, fulfilling the instruction that You've given to us. Not like the servant that thinks the Master is not returning, but like those who know that we will stand before You and that You offer to us the hope of eternity. So God, I pray that You would help us to be looking for opportunities, knowing that You desire for all men to come to repentance.

Lord, help us to reach out. Help us to go beyond our own comfort zone, to stop thinking only of ourselves. And help us, God, to share your truth with those who are perishing, with those that you desire to have an opportunity to know you and receive your gift of life. And Lord, for those who are perishing, who do not know you, I pray, Lord, that you would break through the barriers, that you would remove the blinders that the enemy has placed there,

God, that they would be able to see clearly your love for them. And Lord, I pray that you would help them as they see your love, your grace, your goodness, and what you did for us upon the cross. Help them to turn to you. And if that's you this morning, just pray this prayer in your heart after me. Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I know that I need you. And God, I receive your gift of life. I believe that you sent your son to die on the cross for me.

to receive the punishment that I deserve. But God, thank you for your gift of life. Thank you for your forgiveness. I believe in you, Jesus. I ask that you would come in and make me born again. Give me new life and help me to walk with you. In Jesus' name, amen.

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