New Future

We've been exploring these letters from Peter.

He was Jesus' disciple, and he was a leader of the early church.

And last Sunday, we heard from Steve about Peter's cowardly denial of the Lord Jesus Christ,

denying Jesus three times.

And I wanted to share how Luke records that moment in the Gospel of Luke.

Jesus says,

Simon, Simon, that's Peter's original name.

Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.

And when you have turned back, strengthen the brothers.

Jesus graciously restored Peter as a friend and as a disciple.

And then later, Peter is said to have died defending the faith that he once denied.

But in that verse, there's a word in Greek there in verse 32,

which is translated for us as strengthen.

Strengthen your brothers.

That's what Jesus would have Peter do when he is restored.

And so at the end of this letter to Peter, in verse 17, there's that same Greek word.

Verse 17 says,

Peter's hope in his letters for us, for his readers,

is that we would receive that same secure position that Jesus promised him.

So we would not fall from our strength in Jesus.

As Jesus upheld Peter,

Jesus will uphold us

by his word, promise, and patient grace.

It is as if Peter wants to get this big rock and wedge it under us.

That's what this chapter is.

And this is the rock.

The day of the Lord is coming.

There really is a new future that Jesus offers us.

And for Peter, it's foundational.

Jesus is coming back.

Steve called it judgment day.

Chatswood calls it the end of the world.

We try not to think about it too much.

But we're going to spend our time right now looking at three things.

What is the new future?

Is the new future good?

And what does it mean to live in light of the new future?

Last week, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus.

It's great every year, but it's true every day.

It is still true today.

A dead man walked out of a tomb.

After Jesus appeared to many, his disciples, and even to Peter, who had disowned him,

the risen Lord Jesus did something amazing.

He went home.

Jesus ascended upward and out of view into heaven,

where he sits enthroned at the right hand of God the Father.

And before he left, Jesus promised that he would come back.

And in verse 10 of our chapter today, keep that open in front of you,

Peter calls that day, when Jesus comes back, the day of the Lord.

Now, have you ever been to a really good birthday party?

Yeah?

Remember one recently?

Well, the reason why those birthday parties are good, or when they're good,

is when the birthday girl or birthday boy, no matter how old,

is the focus of everyone's attention.

Everyone treats them differently.

People say what they mean about how they love that person.

They say it out loud.

They say it with gifts.

They say it in cards.

They say it and make that person the point of that special day.

It's their day.

Well, when Peter talks about the end of the world,

he calls it the day of the Lord on purpose,

because it's our Lord Jesus' day.

Scientists say that there's this big crush coming.

You heard of the Big Bang?

The big crush is apparently coming.

In 100 million years, everything's going to fall in on itself,

and there will just be kind of a messed up, destroyed nothingness left.

There's no hope in that.

But Christians believe that our world will end when our Saviour Jesus comes back.

He will rule.

He will judge righteously.

And he will reorder new heavens and a new earth, new universe.

Jesus is the hope that Christians hold to for when the world ends.

It will not be this hopeless, empty crush of nothing.

The end of the world is the day of the Lord.

Peter's confidence that the day of the Lord is coming

is in verse 5 of our passage today,

where Peter remembers that the world was created with God's words.

And then in verse 7 he says,

If God can create with words,

Peter says we can trust Jesus' words when he says he will come back,

and that he will speak an end to our day

and utter in this new existence of our new future.

It's not Jesus' birthday,

but it's in every way.

More intense, more special, more holy than we can ever imagine,

and none of us are going to miss an invitation.

Every human, living or dead,

will see Jesus' return.

And we'll declare him as Lord on that day,

which we declared from Philippians 2 this morning.

There will be an undeniable revealing

of the end of our lordship of our lives

and our dependence on the world that we knew.

Here's what I mean.

Your life is like a TV show.

Anyone watch TV here?

The best show ever is on,

and you're the star.

That's what the world tells us.

You are the actor,

the director,

and the writer,

and the main character,

all as one.

Isn't that amazing?

It's your show.

Your way.

That's what the world says your life is.

But on the day of the lord,

we lose our starring role.

Our screen time stops.

The set gets shut down.

And it's burnt.

Tim Keller says

that unless,

if Jesus is lord at all,

he must be lord of all.

For on the day of the lord,

Jesus will rightfully take our place

in the role of our lives.

And he will,

we will not be able to deny

that he deserves it.

For he is our creator

and our judge

in one.

And we don't know

when the day of the lord

will come.

It's on no calendar.

No one's got a right to guess.

Even Jesus himself,

in Matthew 24, 36,

you can look it up,

even Jesus himself

did not know

when it would be.

Only the father knows.

Peter is writing to a people

who are desperate

for Jesus to come back.

But he tells them

in verse 10,

the day of the lord

will come

like a thief.

A thief arrives

when we least expect it.

The only way to cope

with not knowing

when the day of the lord

will come

is not to know

when it's coming.

But Peter says

is to be sure

that when it comes,

we are prepared.

We are ready.

So Peter paints

this picture

of what the day

will be like

and it's unfiltered,

it's fiery

and it's on purpose.

It'll feature

the perishing

in verse 9

and the destruction

in verse 7

of the ungodly.

fires will roar

as the objects

of our universe

burn.

Verse 10

and verse 12

as everything

will be laid bare.

The day of the lord

ends

with the removal

of all things

that humans

hold on to.

Our autonomy,

our possessions,

our comforts,

our reputations

and everything

we're hiding

from everyone else.

The day of the lord

is a devastation

for all humanity

where verse 9

says we will

perish

unless we're ready

and there's only

one way

to be prepared

for the day

and it's not

knowing when

the day is coming

and there's no

getting away

from it.

but look at

verse 9 again.

The one way

to be ready

for the day

of the lord

is to repent.

To repent

means turning

from our

sin and unbelief

and trusting

in Jesus alone

for forgiveness

from God.

Turning

and trusting.

It's a complete

apology

for how

we've

unrighteously

claimed

the starring

role of our

lives

and actively

yielding

that back

to the lord

Jesus

while we live

before

the day

of the lord

arrives.

But

there would

be no value

in our repentance

if not for

Jesus

for he

is willing

to hear

from you

hear your

repentance

and your

desire for

him to

take

your sin.

In

exchange

he is

willing to

take the

punishment

you deserve

for playing

his role

in your

life

and give

to you

his place

in a perfect

relationship

with God

with the

creator

and director.

Jesus

will receive

you.

Every

repentant

human

will

receive

this

glorious

movie

ending

and he

will take

on our

judgment

and punishment

under the

wrath of

God

without cost

because he

loves us.

remember

how good

Easter is.

There's so

much in

Good Friday

that is

good.

The

repentant

are safe

on the

day of

the Lord.

So if you

repent and

hand over

your life

to Jesus

today

if you

already

have

then your

safety and

joy

joy

is assured

right now

only because

of Jesus.

Peter says

in verse

13

he is

looking

forward

to the

new

creation

to the

new

future

to the

day

of the

Lord

because

Jesus

is coming

back.

That is

where

the new

creation

will be

where

righteousness

dwells.

It will

be where

Jesus'

righteousness

defines

this new

creation

and his

complete

presence

with us

those who

repent

will make

that day

so very

joyous

and so

very

wonderful.

But for

those who

reject Jesus'

lordship

while they

live on

earth

they will

acknowledge it

on the

day of the

Lord

but they

will be

judged

for their

life

as it

is now.

And

their end

Peter says

is

destruction.

How does

this new

future

sit with

you?

Are you

looking forward

to it?

This day

of the

Lord

with fear

worry

or joy?

How can

God's

judgment

day be

good?

How can

we look

forward to

it?

Jesus'

apparent

slowness

to come

back

was the

reason that

skeptics

mocked

the early

church

back in

Peter's

day.

And we

heard

Rachel

read it

before

in

Psalm

90

and

Peter

refers

to

that

psalm

here

in

verse

9

that

God

sees

all of

time

with a

perspective

we lack

but with

a focus

that we

lack.

The

Lord is

not slow

in keeping

his promise

as some

understand

slowness.

Instead

he is

patient

with you

not wanting

anyone

to perish

but everyone

to come

to repentance.

The very

heart's

desire

of our

creator

God

is that

more and

more and

more and

more and

more people

would come

to repentance.

Every second

that God

waits for

the day

of the

Lord

to bring

Jesus'

day

is a

moment

of his

mercy

toward

the

unrepentant.

Imagine

if Jesus

had returned

before you

returned

to him.

If Jesus

came

25 years

ago

I would

be unrepentant.

I was

still trying

to live

my life

on my

terms

and maybe

earn

my way

into

the new

future.

What

about

you?

Peter

says

that

in

verse

15

that

our

Lord's

patience

means

salvation.

Think

of all

the people

over the

last 2,000

or so

years

since Peter

wrote this

who have

been saved.

What

merciful

patience

our

God

has.

Think

of the

promise

kept

by our

Saviour

to all

nations

as the

gospel

goes

across

our

globe

even

today.

God

offers

everyone

his

salvation

in their

lifetime

and that

salvation

is set

against

this

backdrop

of

destruction

and

judgment

yet

it's

on the

timeline

of his

merciful

patience.

God's

patient

judgment

is

good.

Tin

Keller

says

that with

the day

of the

Lord

and its

judgment

without

it

there is

no meaning

in anything

at all.

Either the

world is a

meaningless

fluke of

uncreated

nature

with no

judgment

day

and only

a big

crush

coming

apparently

or

God

made

a

universe

with

a

purpose

that

will

be

held

to

account

for.

Keller

says

that you

can't

believe

in

Jesus

or even

creative

design

or even

Jesus

Christ

and then

say

judgment

day is

not

coming.

It's

everything

or

nothing

otherwise

the how

and why

you live

makes no

difference.

Judgment

day is

the right

side

of a

frame.

Creation

is the

left

and your

life dances

across the

canvas

somewhere in

between.

Your life

means

something.

Your actions

matter

to the

God who

created

you

and those

actions

define

the outcome

of your

judgment

day

and thanks

to Jesus

we can

be confident

looking forward

to it.

God's

meaningful

judgment

is good.

We need

just

judgment

in our

world

too.

With

far away

wars

that right

now feel

pretty near

and countless

injustices

even

just in

our city

and our

lives as

well.

So we

need to

judge

beyond

our

humanity

to bring

a real

good

justice.

I want to

encourage you

to later

at some

point this

week

maybe write

this down

right now

I want you

to go back

and listen

to a

sermon

preached

by Steve

this time

last year

called

Jesus

All About

Justice

Justice.

So in

your podcast

app

look it

up

we're in

there now

on Spotify

and Apple

or go to

our website

and have a

listen to

that where

Steve gives

this topic

its due

because we

long for

swift justice

in our

lives

in the lives

of the

mistreated

the abused

the enslaved

the oppressed

and when

Peter says

in verse

10

everything

done

will be

laid

bare

he means

that all

wrong ever

done

will be

exposed

and brought

to a

complete

justice

on the

day of

the Lord

our Lord

Jesus

offers

humanity

a perfect

justice

but imagine

if that day

was up to

you

I imagine

you'd be

pretty lenient

with yourself

I would be

lenient

with myself

I like to

give myself

the benefit

of the doubt

all the time

but what about

those who

have wronged

you

would they

get that

same

benefit

what we

need

instead

of ourselves

or even

the best

of humanity

on that

day

is we

need a

truly

unbiased

perfect

judge

we need

Jesus

Christ

to once

for all

judge

the world

in full

transparency

that everything

we've done

as a

humanity

over all

time

and in

every

place

you're

not going

to get

that

offer

from

any

other

religion

you're

not going

to get

that hope

from

atheism

you're

only going

to get

a good

judgment

from

Jesus

Christ

our new

future

begins

on

Jesus

judgment

day

and his

judgment

is good

Peter

wants us

to look

forward

to the

day

of

the

Lord

so it

becomes

a rock

under

the feet

of our

every

next

step

following

Jesus

makes

an impact

on how

we live

so Peter

says in

verse 11

since

everything

will be

destroyed

in this

way

what

kind

of

people

ought

we

be

ought

you

be

to

live

you

ought

to

live

holy

and

godly

lives

as

you

look

forward

to

that

day

it

is

as if

Peter

is

saying

because

your

world

is

momentary

and

your

life

belongs

to

the

Lord

and

live

to

your

Lord

living

out

your

future

citizenship

in

this

new

creation

if

Jesus

is

Lord

of

your

life

it's

like

you've

already

got

your

passport

to

that

day

as

we

look

forward

to

the

day

of

the

Lord

and

surrender

to

Jesus

our

bent

to

seek

moral

and

good

to

be

moral

and

good

to

earn

a

good

name

for

ourselves

in

our

world

gets

broken

because

we

continually

remember

our

day

the

day

of

the

Lord

will

place

our

efforts

in

him

rightly

efforts

for

him

in

its

proper

place

which

is

our

response

to

his

patient

salvation

of

us

not

in

earning

his

salvation

for

ourselves

as

we

look

towards

this

new

future

that

is

coming

Peter

expects

us

to

grow

in

what

he

calls

in

verse

one

have

a

look

there

wholesome

thinking

now

there

are more

ways

than this

but we're

going to

look at

three

ways

that

the

new

future

changes

our

thinking

our

new

future

grows

our

confidence

for

life

it

is

easier

to

endure

even

the

hardest

day

knowing

that

Jesus

is

coming

soon

hoping

with

confidence

that

he

is

coming

soon

and

how

we

are

going

to

be

a

part

of

that

new

future

our

new

future

develops

our

taste

for

justice

we

don't

give

up

on

justice

in

our

world

because

we

know

it

will

be

completely

dealt

with

no

matter

how

fierce

or

out

of

control

justice

is

and

we

know

that

with

that

burden

on

his

shoulders

the

injustice

that

we

see

in

front

of

us

we

can

grow

a

heart

to

step

into

that

and

no

matter

how

difficult

it

gets

or

no

matter

how

out

of

our

control

and

injustice

is

no

matter

what

we

see

in

our

screens

we

know

that

we

can

put

all

of

it

into

the

hands

of

that

he

might

do

justice

now

but

trusting

that

on

the

day

he

will

do

it

completely

now

a

new

future

fuels

our

forgiveness

take

note

church

whenever

two

pastors

prepare

something

differently

and

then

share

the

same

thing

I

think

God's

got

this

word

for

us

as

a

church

today

because

this

is

what

Steve

already

shared

looking

forward

to

the

day

of

the

Lord

reminds

us

that

we

have

repented

and

found

forgiveness

through

Jesus

remembering

the

horror

of

his

judgment

without

God's

forgiveness

reminds

us

that

he

is

forgiving

and

as

we

remember

Jesus

being

wronged

in

our

place

it

pales

in

comparison

to

any

wrong

done

to

us

in

our

life

and

we

trust

him

with

our

hunger

for

justice

freeing

us

to

forgive

others

and

there

is

even

hope

for

the

wrongdoer

the

one

who

does

wrong

to

us

that

they

might

find

that

same

forgiveness

too

forgiveness

grows

as we

rely

on

God's

judgment

and

patient

perspective

most

spectacularly

the

new

future

perfects

our

purpose

as a

people

look

look at

verse

12

Peter

says

something

remarkable

look

forward

to the

day

of

God

and

speed

its

coming

Peter

is not

saying

that we

can make

God

show up

any

faster

but

every

time the

lordship

of Jesus

is declared

in word

in action

in love

of God

or in

our

neighbor

by

those

who

follow

Jesus

that

in a

way

speeds

the

coming

of the

dawn

of this

day

as if

it's

flickering

over the

horizon

little

shafts

of light

hitting

the world

on that

day

every tongue

will confess

that Jesus

is Lord

but if

you live

and speak

the lordship

of Jesus

in your

life

now

your new

life

will attract

others

to follow

him

too

to join

in openly

declaring

that Jesus

is Lord

now

and receive

God's

patience

salvation

before

the day

there are

multiple

benefits

that

life

following

Jesus

offers

you

new life

is

true

freedom

new life

is true

justice

new life

is true

comfort

true

identity

true

power

true

hope

and add

to that

a new

future

that's

undeniably

coming

that is

good

and adds

to the

many

benefits

of following

Jesus

today

Peter relied

on the

patient

grace

of Jesus

to bring

him

salvation

and he

trusted

all the

words

of Jesus

promises

he had

faith

that

Jesus

would

patiently

save

people

while

Peter

died

before

his

Lord

came

back

but

Peter

will

be

there

when

Jesus

returns

and so

will

you

ever

since

Peter

wrote

such

words

that we

now call

the Bible

new life

has been

found

by millions

and now

it's

over

to you

what's

your

next

step

what's

your

next

step

in

responding

to the

patient

grace

of Jesus

Christ

but we

are all

here

standing

in the

legacy

of

Simon

yeah that

was his

name

but Jesus

called him

rock

we translate

that name

Peter

explore

and trust

the words

of Jesus

and stand

firm

in your

secure

position

on

Jesus

new

future

look forward

to his

coming again

and take

your next

step

as we

patiently

wait

for our

Lord