The Word God Said - Confirm Your Calling & Election,  By Reminder of Christ’s Return 2 Peter 3:11-18 pt. 2

Father, I want to thank you so much for your

goodness and faithfulness, Lord, as we open up

your word and we finish 2 Peter 3. I pray that

we would honor and glorify you. Help us to understand

about this great day. Help us to understand what

it means, why you're coming. how it impacts us,

and how we should be impacted today. I pray that

you are honored and glorified in all things and

help us to rightly divide your word as your people.

And may the full counsel of your word be taught

and spoken. So there's some things I think we

need to address as we're going to be dealing

with 2 Peter 3, verse 11 to 18. Chapter 3, verse

2 Peter 3:11–18

11 to 18. And this is what it says. Since all

these things are thus to be dissolved, What sort

of people ought you to be in lives of holiness

and godliness waiting for and hastening the coming

of the day of God? Because of which the heavens

will be set on fire and dissolved and the heavenly

bodies will melt as they burn. But according

to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens

and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for

these, be diligent to be found by him without

spot or blemish and at peace. And count the patience

of the Lord as salvation, just as your beloved

brother Paul also wrote to you according to the

wisdom given him. as he does in all his letters

when he speaks in them of these matters. There

are some things in them that are hard to understand,

but which the ignorant and unstable twist to

their own destruction as they do the other scriptures.

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand,

take care that you are not carried away with

the error of lawless people. and lose your own

stability, but grow in the grace and knowledge

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be

glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

So I will tell you, this group of scriptures

is specifically focusing on how you should be,

what you should expect, and specifically what

is the day. Okay, so we will address that. It's

a little longer. It took me 50 minutes to get

through this message in first service, and I

pray that we would get done sooner, but let's

see. So principle number one, to know Christ

is returning, what kind of people should you

be? If you know Christ is returning, what kind

of people should you be? 1 John 3, 2 and 3. Beloved,

we are God's children now. And what we will be

has not yet appeared. But we know that when he

appears, we shall be like him. So what we are

to be is like Christ. And we haven't seen his

appearing yet. And that's what we will be. So

the important part is what is Paul telling us

to focus on? What's going to happen? Or who the

person? The person of Christ. He's telling us

we should be focused on Christ. That's important

as we deal with the issue of the day of God.

Okay? Because we shall see him as he is. And

as he is. we will be. And everyone who thus hopes

in him purifies himself as he is pure. What should

you be doing until he returns? What should you

be doing until you become like him completely?

You should be living holy, obedient. That's the

idea here. So in 2 Peter 3, 11 through 13, some

very important things we need to see. Since all

these, these, Peter's specifically talking about,

this thing's going to drive me nuts. I don't

know why it keeps falling off my ear, but it

is. So hold on. All right. The other one doesn't

give me a hard time. Since all these, verse 10.

So I want you to see what it says in verse 10

because you'll know what Peter is talking about.

In verse 10, he says, but the day of the Lord

will come like a thief. So we know he's talking

about the day and the heavens will pass away

with a roar and the heavenly bodies will be burned

up and dissolved and the earth and the works

that are done. on it will be exposed. Since all

these, since all this list that we just got done

will be dissolved, destroyed into parts, what

sort of people ought you to be? What manner of

people ought you to be? How should you be living?

And that's really what he's trying to get to.

What happens in today's society, especially among

the churches that are dispensational in their

teaching, everybody's focused on what's going

to happen. Not taking the mark. Being taken out

of the world before the seven -year tribulation

happens. But I want you to notice what Peter's

focus is. Peter's focus isn't what's going to

happen. Peter's focus is what should you be doing

and how should you be living. You should be holy.

If we're focused on events, we're not focused

on Christ. And if we're not focused on Christ,

we're not focused on his work in our lives. We

get too wrapped up in the nonsense. And that's

really what he's dealing with here. So this word

holiness means to live holy. Are you living holy?

Is Christ your focus in these last days? And

then the second is godliness. Godliness is aims

and acts of devotion. Are you devoted to the

word and the ways of God? Is that your life?

And that's important. So he's saying that if

you are going to be a godly people, a people

who knows Christ is returning, then you should

be living holy lives, obediently according to

his word, doing and being found to do what he's

commanded you to do, and living in such a way

that your life is devoted. to that purpose. Now,

look what it says in verse 12, waiting for and

hastening the coming of the day of God. This

word waiting for literally translates as expect

or look forward to. Do you genuinely look forward

to the appearing of Christ? Are you eagerly desiring

Jesus's return? Okay, so that is what we are

focused on. We are looking forward and we are

earnestly desiring, eagerly desiring Jesus's

return. Then it should spur you on to live a

life that reflects him and you should be busy

doing what he's asked you to do. The question

is, are we? And then the big question is, what

is the coming of the day of God? It's interesting

that he doesn't use the word Christos here. The

coming of the day of Christ or the great day

of the Lord. He doesn't even use the word Lord

here. He's saying the coming of the day of God.

Theos. So we're going to go down below in a minute

to clarify what this day looks like. And why

we should be eagerly awaiting and seeking and

desiring and looking forward to this day. That

day is the clarification as what's stated. in

the verse that I read previously, that we are

going to be like him. I want to see him because

I know when I see him, I will be transformed

and like him in my physical body. My physical

body will be like his body. And then the work

and the fulfillment of what was promised is complete.

Now look what it says here. This coming day of

God, because of which the heavens The heavens

is all that is seen in the universe. So I want

you to get that. So when you look up in the sky

at night and you see the beauty of the stars,

that's going to go away. You're like, but that's

beautiful. I mean, it's perfect. I mean, God

has. So. He says something here that's shocking.

So everything that you see, all the stars in

the heavens, all the trees, everything will be

set on fire. The word is puroo. Puroo. And this

word means to burn. It's where we get the word,

what? Yes, I was, thank you. Pyro, right? To

burn. And the word dissolve, luo, means to destroy

into parts. So I want you to get this. When God

created and he spoke into existence to creation,

he created ex nihilo, out of nothing, and all

the things that he had created out of nothing,

he spoke into existence the smallest particles

and the smallest parts that you can't see in

order to create it. What God is going to do is

destroy down to the smallest particle. He's going

to destroy it all. You're like, well, why would

he do that? That's not, doesn't sound, I'm not

very happy. I mean, I like, it's like, why would

God do that? Because sin has corrupted everything

to the smallest particle. Sin is a disease and

a cancer that you cannot see and has corrupted

everything, even the universe and its beauty.

But like, well, how is that possible? Do you

ever see a tree fall to the ground? We have a

bunch of trees that dried up and are gray now.

God never intended trees to dry up and die. Why

do they die? Because of sin. How about stars?

You ever seen a star fall from the sky and you

go, oh, that's beautiful. You know, that star

was never supposed to fall from the sky. God

never intended the star to fall from the sky.

The stars are to sing of the beauty and the glory

of God. You're like, but it is beautiful. But

that's not what it was created for. Now what's

interesting is what happens to these heavenly

bodies. These elements from which all things

come. They will melt. They will liquefy. They

will liquefy. They will become liquid as they

burn. He's going to liquefy it. And this word

burn means burned up by fire. Intense heat. But,

according to his promise, we are waiting for

new. Keinas. Means a new or a superior to the

old. So, how many guys like, I don't know if

you guys, do any of you guys live in log cabins?

Right? A log cabin is beautiful to live in a

log cabin. Love log cabins. Well, when God comes,

it's not going to be a log cabin anymore. You're

like, oh, that's my house. Not going to exist.

Why? Because of this term right here, new. This

term right here means superior to the old. Now,

I want you to get this. I want you to look at

the beauty of the universe now. The new universe

beyond your imagination. Beyond your imagination.

Look at the flowers that you see. Beautiful.

The new flowers, beyond your imagination. You

can't even fathom the reality of the beauty that

God is going to create when he makes a new heaven.

Because that's what this means. It is superior

to the old. This is old. This is going to be

nothing. But the new heaven and the new earth,

superior. Far superior than you can imagine.

I was watching golf. I love golf. Thank you,

John. Right? And I'm watching this nine -hole.

It's a public course. And I'm watching the golfers

play. And they're playing on a nine -hole public

course in the middle of... of the largest redwoods

in the world. Beautiful. But I looked. And I'm

looking at the beauty of these trees. And the

reality is, the new earth will have trees far

superior than those. And you look at those trees

and you go, God created them. They're beautiful.

But yet they still fall. They die. But the new

heavens, new earth, what scripture says that

when we go, there will be no more tears and no

more pain and no more sickness. There'll be nothing.

We won't need that. Sin will not be present.

Sin will be eradicated down to the smallest minute

element. Wherever sin has infiltrated, It will

not exist. And that's why he says that he will

give a new heavens and a new earth, which righteousness

dwells. Because where righteousness dwells, there

is no sin. So when the scripture says the meek

will inherit the earth, what Jesus is talking

about there is the meek will inherit the new

earth. The superior earth. Think about that.

The earth made new. It's an amazing thing. Turn

to Isaiah chapter 65. Isaiah chapter 65. See

Isaiah 65 · chapter mention Isaiah 65 · chapter mention

what it says here, chapter 65, verse 17. Beautiful

statement here. Even Isaiah talks about this

amazing, beautiful new heaven and new earth.

It says this, for behold, I create new heavens

and a new earth and the former things shall not

be remembered or come to mind. Remember your

little log cabin house and the house you live

in, the thing you love and all the memories you

think you're going to have? It's all gone. All

gone. Why? Because we get the splendor and the

glory of a mighty God in the new of all that

he has to offer. A more superior. Now, turn to

chapter 66, verse 22. 66, verse 22. For as the

new heavens and the new earth that I make shall

remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your

offspring and your name remain. God makes the

new heaven and the new earth. So what is the

purpose of the day of God? In John 14, one through

three, you know what he says. I go to prepare

a place for you. If I did not go and prepare

a place for you, right? I would come and take

you to myself and you will be with me. For where

I am, you shall be also. And the reality is that

the whole point of the new heavens and the new

earth is that we will dwell tabernacle with God.

So why do we hold on to the old so tightly? To

memories that are fading. So in Matthew 24, 29

through 31, we're now going to talk about what

is this day of God? The scripture clarifies clearly

what the day of God is. The day of the Lord.

The great day of the Lord. It is the day, the

last day, the day, day. Can't get any more day

than that day. There's not a day before or a

day three and a half years or seven years before.

It's not a day that happens. Then we wait for

the day. It's the day. One day. It's a day of

glory and joy and awe of God and his power. But

it's also a day of great wrath. For us, it's

being in Christ. For the world, it's destruction.

There is no other way to say it. And the scripture

clearly teaches this. As a matter of fact, I

was doing a study. I was able to find through

a source 68 times the word the day of the Lord

or the day of God is mentioned. 68. I'm sure

there's more. But let's talk about this day.

I'm only going to give you a few and I'm going

to give you some from the Apostle Paul since

Peter alludes to him. But we're also going to

give you some from Jesus. And this is what I

need these preachers and teachers and these men

that are on pulpits or teaching their Bible studies

to hear. Because we need to be biblically right.

Not for the sake of my own narrative or how I

feel. We need to settle on the truth of the scripture.

And Jesus says it clearly. There's no mincing

words here. There's no adding here and flipping

here and pulling something from over there. It

is simple. And it's meant to be. Matthew 24,

29 through 31. Immediately after the tribulation

of those days, the sun will be darkened and the

moon not give its light. And the stars will fall

from heaven. Sounds like what he said here, right?

In chapter 3, that the universe will melt. The

stars will fall from heaven and the powers of

the heavens will be shaken. Sounds the same,

doesn't it? Then will appear in heaven the sign

of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of

the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son

of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power

and great glory. And he will send out his angels

with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather

his elect from the four winds from one end of

heaven to the other. When? On that day. So what

is that day for? The day is for your gathering.

The day is for your removal from the wrath of

God. The day is for your being in Christ who

is your ark. That's what the day is for. Mark

13. Says it this way, but in those days after

the tribulation, the sun will be darkened and

the moon will not give its light and the stars

will be falling from heaven and the powers in

the heavens will be shaken and then they will

see the son of man coming in the clouds with

great power and glory and then he will send out

his angels to gather his elect from the four

winds from the ends of the earth to the ends

of the heavens. So what do we know? The day of

the Lord is for the gathering of his people because

something is going to happen. What is that something?

Well, in 1 Thessalonians 5 .2, Paul says it this

way. So those are Jesus' words. And there are

more, but didn't want to do that because this

is long enough. 1 Thessalonians 5, 2. For you

yourselves are fully aware that the day of the

Lord will come like a thief in the night. What

do we know about the day? Not only is the day

for our gathering and for our removal from the

wrath of God, because that's clearly why he quotes

that in Mark and Matthew. It is also for, it's

also to know that you're not going to know when

it's going to come. You have no clue. It's going

to come when no one expects. Why? Because he

promised he's going to come. For who? For his

people. And to deal with what? Sin. To eradicate

it completely. 2 Thessalonians 2, 1 through 3.

Now here's the hard part. This is going to wreck

you. So if you're a dispensationalist, I'm warning

you up front. It's going to challenge you in

ways that it's going to challenge you. And this

is the word of God. Don't get mad at me. Deal

with the word. But I'm going to tell you exactly

what it says. And so far, we know what the day

of the Lord is for, right? Now concerning the

coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being

gathered together to him, which I just read to

you in Matthew and Mark. The whole point is that

the day is going to come. Jesus is going to gather

his people out from the four winds of the earth

and heavens so that we will be with him. Look

what he says here. When would that happen? When

would this gathering happen? We ask you, brothers,

not to be quickly shaken in mind. In other words,

don't let your mind be stable in your thinking,

be stable in your mind, which Peter mentions

in the verses to come. Or alarmed, shocked. Don't

be shocked. He's already told you he's going

to come like a thief, so it shouldn't, like,

shock you. Either by spirit, this means by this

attitude or pervasive overwhelming sense because

of what's being said around you and the effects

of what's being said around you. Or as someone

spoke it, someone has been preaching and teaching.

And this is one of the things why I hate the

seven mountain mandate. Any church that teaches

that we need to get the earth ready for Jesus

by... Bringing the kingdom here doesn't understand

biblically what's happening here. Because God

is going to destroy this earth and everything

that's left. So there is a seven mountain mandate

teaching. I'm telling you scripturally. The word

of God warns you, stay away. Look what he says.

Or a letter seeming to be from us. To the effect

that the day of the Lord has come. I want you

to see that. In the Greek, it's the day. And

what is the day? The last day. What is the last

day? The day of God. What is the day of God?

When Jesus returns and he gathers his people

to himself. That's the day. What happens on that

day? Well, when is that day going to come? Verse

3. And this is important. Let no one deceive

you in any way. For that day will not come. Let's

stop there. So listen to me. The day will not

come until Jesus says he's coming. When's that?

Like a thief. You don't know the day. And he's

telling you that day will not come until. What's

that day? Our gathering together to him. He hasn't

left you behind because that's exactly what he's

saying to the Thessalonians. The Thessalonians

felt that Jesus had come and left them. That's

the point of the letter. But, you know, we got

to avoid that because that doesn't fit the narrative.

That doesn't fit the deception. Because we love

the seven -year tribulation nonsense. We got

to have that. We got to be out of the way so

that we don't get hurt. And that's why he does

this. That's why Paul clarifies this. He says,

let no one deceive you in any way for that day

will not come unless two things happen. So I

know because in the seven -year tribulation,

it says we won't see the Antichrist because that's

what they teach. We're not going to see him because

we're going to be removed because once we're

removed, then he can come in. But that's not

what it teaches here. Because Paul says it this

way, unless the rebellion comes first. What rebellion?

The turning away of the gospel. The false gospels.

And how much of false gospel has been preached?

Especially the prosperity gospel, which John

Piper says he hates. And I hate it too. These

are gospels with no promise. Gospels for only

gain. Which we've been talking about. So what

has to happen? The rebellion comes first. I'm

pretty close we're there. They're not preaching

the gospel of Jesus. What's the second? And,

I want you to notice that word and in the Greek

is and. Meaning also. So the rebellion comes

first and the man of lawlessness is revealed,

the son of destruction. Do you hear that? So

what's that mean? We won't be gathered to him

until the Antichrist is revealed. I'm going to

see him? Yes. I'm going to be here? Yes. Well,

when am I going to be removed? When God destroys

the earth. He promises he will gather you away.

How do we know that? Because the Bible says that

we are not children of wrath. Ephesians. He hasn't

destined us for wrath. Not destined us to avoid

the mark and all the other things that go along

with the seven year tribulation teaching. He

says we will not experience his wrath. So what

does that mean for us? What Paul and Peter are

doing is they're telling you stop focusing on

the stuff and focus on the who. Expect the who.

Stop expecting to get out of a situation and

expect eagerly to see him. That's the one deception

that most people don't understand when it comes

to dispensational theology. Or dispensational

eschatology. Is the avoidance of suffering. I

really believe that. They just want to get out.

I want to get out too. But I want to get out

being found busy working. Being found busy serving.

So what two things are holding Jesus back? Why

hasn't he entered yet? Because the rebellion

has to happen and then the Antichrist must be

revealed. And this word revealed means the unveiling.

You will see him. Romans 2. Next verse. So we

know that the day of the Lord is for the gathering

of his people and the revealing of the evil one

and the culmination of the false gospel being

preached and taught globally. Romans 2, 5. Because

of your hard and impotent heart, you are storing

up wrath for yourselves on the day of wrath when

God's righteous judgment will be revealed. So

what's the day for? Wrath. So not only is the

day for gathering, not only is it a day for the

revealing of the evil one, not only is it the

day for the appearing of the glorious one for

his people, it's also the day of wrath, the scripture

says. On the day of wrath, the day. Then look

what it says in Philippians 1 .6. And I am sure

of this, that he who began a good work in you

will bring into completion on the day of Jesus

Christ. So what is the day for? Your completion.

Let's go. Like, no more old wrinkles, back pain,

all that gone. 30, 33, let's go all day. Yes.

But what's the most important thing we get in

the completion? Jesus. That's what we get. The

completion is to be like him. John 38 through

40. For I have come down from heaven, not to

do my own will, but the will of him who sent

me. And this is the will of him who sent me,

that I should lose nothing of all that he has

given me. Do you hear that? But raise it up on

the last day. So what is the day for? The resurrection

of the dead and the taking up of the saints.

Because why? On that day is the declaration and

the fulfillment of the promise that he will not

lose any that the father has given him. Not one.

What a glorious day. For this is the will of

my father that everyone who looks to the son

and believes in him should have eternal life.

And I will raise him up on the last day. Do you

hear that? What is the will of the father? To

raise up his people on the last day. Can't avoid

that. So what do dispensationalists teach? There's

another last day. It's not the last day. The

last day is the actual last day after the first

last day. Two last days, sort of, kind of. The

first one is really not a last day, though. It's

a last day because Jesus doesn't put his foot

on the earth and as a result, crack the Mount

of Olives in half. Because of that, it's only

half a last day. Really. John Darby, please give

me a break. Okay? Give me a break. Now, I will

tell you. Chapter 11, verse 24 of John is what

I'm looking for. I actually copied the same verses

twice. So if you would turn to John 11, 24. And

this is what Martha says to Jesus. And so Lazarus

has died. And Jesus comes to Martha. And he says

to Martha, I'm here. I'm here to take care, to

deal with your brother. And she says, he says

to her, verse 23, and Jesus said to her, your

brother will rise again. What? Yeah, I know.

That's exactly what she said. Yeah, I know. Martha

said to him, I know that he will rise again in

the resurrection on the last day. So if the dead

in Christ rise, Before the tribulation, let's

just deal with the basic language here. If the

dead rise at the tribulation, at the rapture

of God's people and the resurrection of the dead,

why in the world would Martha say it's on the

last day? Because it should have been on the

half a day or the day of the last day or the

other first last day, but not the second last

day. I love Bible, man. The Bible, God's word

always takes care of itself. You can't argue

with that. Well, that's not what Martha meant.

So then Jesus was a liar because he's the author

of the scripture. Can't do that either, can we?

No, because Martha believed that her brother

will rise on the last day. And Jesus said to

her, I am the resurrection and life. And whoever

believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.

And everyone who lives and believes in me shall

never die. Do you believe this? Yes. And that's

exactly what he said previously. That all that

the father has given him, he will raise up on

the last day. So even Martha. believed in the

resurrection. Second Timothy 4 .8, Paul continues,

hence therefore there is laid up for me the crown

of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous

judge, will reward me on that day. And not only

to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

So how do we know what day it is? The appearing

day. You're going to get rewarded on that day.

Really excited. So what else is about this day?

Not only do we get rewarded, but anyone who has

loved his appearing, who's earnestly desired

his appearing, will be rewarded on that day.

I like that. So what else is the day for? God's

rewards. So we've learned quite a bit about this

day, haven't we? How do you feel about the day?

Was it the day that you thought was the day that

actually wasn't the day because it's not the

last day? It was the fake day. It was the day

that the deceivers were teaching deception. It's

not the day because the last day is the resurrection

of the dead. That's what Martha just said and

Jesus agreed with her. So he can't be lying because

he wouldn't be God. So we know what the day is.

So what should we do? And what has he done for

us? We are continually reminded of Christ's return.

The New Testament, every letter of Paul, every

epistle, Paul mentions the return of Jesus. It

is amazing. We are continually reminded of Christ's

return and that there will continue to be those

who reject. the truth of his return until that

day. And it's not just those who make fun of,

you know, where you said the Lord was coming

and you've been saying this since the fathers

and nothing's really changed. It's not just those.

It's also the false teachers telling you there's

a day outside of the day that actually is the

day. I love it. All kinds of crazy happening.

But if we just read the scripture and stop just

listening, what we read, we study, we are good

Bereans and we are fleshing out the reality and

the truth of that last day, we would find out

there's a much more glorious day being removed

from the wrath of God given the promise that

he's promised us to complete our total transformation

into Christ's likeness. To enjoy him forever

and tabernacle with him. Watching him justly

and rightly deal with the issue of evil and sin

on the earth. And then he hands us a brand new

superior than the old earth and heaven. Are you

kidding me? I don't know about you. You can't

even create a movie that's that good. That is

some amazing stuff. All happening on a day. In

24 hours. That's kind of exciting. I don't even

know if it's going to be 24 hours because where

God is, there's no time. I'm really curious.

Are we going to have time? Is it going to be

sunset, sunrise? I mean, sorry, not sunset, sunrise.

Sunset, sunrise. I don't know about you, but

I'm really curious, right? It's going to be rain

and snow, thunder and lightning. I love all that

stuff. I don't know. Look what it says in 2 Peter

3. Through four, knowing this, first of all,

that scoffers will come in the last days with

scoffing, following their own sinful desires.

They will say, where is this promise of his coming?

For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things

are continuing as they were from the beginning

of creation. Are you getting ready for the rapture?

When the Holy Spirit's removed? That's another

whole argument. I don't even know where that,

how do people get saved if the Holy Spirit's

not present? Because John 3 tells us how people

are converted. He says the wind blows and no

one knows where the wind comes or goes. But we

see the effects of the wind. We see the reality

of the work of the wind. So it is with the Spirit.

So how can someone get saved in Christ, in Revelation,

if the Holy Spirit's not present because he's

been removed according to the teaching? Because

salvation is... All the work of salvation, not

just not taking the mark and just getting in

on my own work. Look what it says here in 14

and 16, 2 Peter 3. Therefore, beloved, since

you are waiting, since you are looking, since

you look and wait for Christ's return is exactly

what this means. Since you are waiting for these,

what are these? The these are what's mentioned

previously, meaning Christ is coming and he is

going to give us a new heavens and a new earth.

Since we are waiting for these, be diligent.

Make every effort to be found by him, to be discovered,

recognized with the same character, without spot,

pure, free from wickedness or blemish, meaning

blameless. How do we live blameless and without

spot or wrinkle? Christ. How can we be found

by him? By being in the same character of Christ.

What was Christ's character? What did Christ

do on the earth for you? What did he do perfectly?

He lived obediently. How should we be found by

him? By being obedient, doing what he has commanded

us to do. What has he commanded us to do? Go

therefore, go therefore and baptize, and go therefore,

Matthew 28, 19 to 20, and baptize, you know,

I forgot the scripture already. Let's go ahead

and quote it. into all the nation, baptizing

in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy

Spirit. Go and therefore make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,

Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe

all that I've commanded you. Thank you, Lord,

for bringing that back. I don't even know why

I forgot that. It's part of my vernacular. What

else should we be doing? If I love God, I'll

be obedient. What else should I be doing? Living

holy, holiness, and godliness. That's what I

should be doing. And if I'm doing that, then

I am filled in his character. I am free from

wickedness and I walk blameless and I am at peace

with him. I have assurance of salvation and reconciled

with God. That's what peace means. Verse 15.

And count the patience of our Lord as salvation.

In 2 Peter 3, 8, and 9, we know what he says

here. He says a day is as a thousand years and

a thousand years is as a day. But do not overlook

this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one

day is as a thousand years and a thousand years

as a day. For the Lord is not slow to fulfill

his promises. Some count slowness, but is patient

toward you, not wishing that any should perish,

but that all should reach repentance. Now look

at that. And count the patience of the Lord as

salvation. Why? Because he is patient, God saves

his people. Because when that day comes, there's

no more saving. Do you get that? When Christ

returns, no more saving. Only those who are in

Christ, he removes. Everyone else is destroyed.

Well, that's kind of harsh. No, that's justice.

just as our brother Paul, our beloved brother

Paul, also wrote to you according to the wisdom

given him, which I just mentioned that's above,

as he does in all his letters. Epistole is the

word here. It means epistles. When he speaks

in them of these matters, all his letters speaks

of them in these matters. Isn't that amazing?

That tells you what Paul was eagerly desiring.

What did he want? He wants Jesus' return. That's

what he wanted. And now he's with him face to

face. And one day his body will be resurrected.

And his body and his spirit will be united. There

are some things in them that are hard to understand.

Which the ignorant, the untaught, and unstable.

The word unstable is unstable. You can't. So

the untaught and the unstable, they turn awry,

they pervert, or they distort the limbs on a

rack. This idea, distorting the limbs on a rack,

is taking a person, sticking them on a table,

putting two ropes or chains around each ankle

and each wrist, and you start to crank that wheel.

You know, just keep going. That distorts the

limbs. That's what it's talking about here. That

the ignorant, the untaught, they twist to their

own destruction as they do the other scriptures.

In other words, they're twisted out of form.

But you are to grow in the knowledge of Christ,

firm in the faith, settled in your minds of the

truth of Christ and his gospel. And I'll add,

and his return. Ephesians 4, 13 and 14. Why?

What is the purpose? Why should we be settled

in our minds for this reason? Until we attain,

until we all attain the unity of the faith and

the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood

to the measure of the stature of the fullness

of Christ so that you may no longer be children

tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about

by every wind of doctrine. By human cunning and

craftiness and deceitful schemes. I'm going to

say this. Okay. And there are many reformed brothers

that I love dearly. Genuinely. But they have

decided to settle on a doctrine that is crazy

off of scripture. If they just took the decent

time to spend time. Dismissationalism is. evil.

It feeds a people a false narrative for a false

hope, and they're hoping they're avoiding the

issue of the seven -year tribulation, and they're

not looking for the return of Jesus. And the

reality of that day, the glory of that day, that

day you get a new heaven and a new earth. That

day, the last day. And we know that the last

day is also the day that the last trumpet sounds.

2 Peter 3, 17 and 18. You therefore beloved.

Agapitas means dearly loved one. I love that.

Knowing this beforehand. In other words, knowing

this before it happens. You know. I'm telling

you before. This is going to happen. You should.

You should know with the foreknowledge that this

is going to happen. That's the idea here. Take

care. Philoso. Guard. Protect. Protect what?

Take care of yourself, of your mind, of the truth.

That you are not carried away, that you're not

led away and seduced with the delusion, the error,

or deceived into wandering of lawless people.

Guard yourself against these people. They will

deceive you into wandering and they will pull

you into a delusion. Why? What is a lawless person?

Someone who is licentious, unrestrained, and

unprincipled. What happens? If you get in that,

you will lose your own stability. You will lose

the firmness of belief and settled in the frame

of mind of the truth of Jesus' coming. Understand,

Jesus' coming is a day of great power and great

glory. It is our salvation and joy, but it is

also the condemnation and the wrath poured out

on everything else. What a great day that will

be. That's what he means here. So please settle

on Christ. Settle on the reality of living holy

and godly until his return so that he finds you

busy doing the work, being obedient. Settle on

the reality of his coming to judge and deal with

the... sin and the evil of the world. Settle

on that truth. That's a reality that is there.

You can go into Revelation and you can go into

all the epistles and you can go into the gospels.

It all says the same thing. But grow, increase

in the grace, in the divine favor and kindness

and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Grow in the knowledge of the truth of the word.

Study it. Prove the teaching that I'm preaching

to you today as being false or accurate. If it's

accurate, settle on it. Stand on it. Stand on

it like a firm rock. To him be the glory both

now and to the day of eternity. What is the day?

Final part of the day. Here's the final description

of the day. It's the day of eternity. It's the

day when death is gone. Sin is gone. Christ has

already did it in the victory of the cross and

the resurrection. Yes, for his people. But there

will be a day when death will no longer exist.

No one will die anymore. No one will get sick

anymore. Sin will not exist anymore. It will

be eradicated. That day of eternity. The new

heavens and the new earth. The superior ones.

That's what you're looking forward to. That day

seems a lot more realistic to me. That makes

a lot more sense to me. Because I'm tired of

the lies. I'm tired of the dishonesty. I'm tired

of these men preaching and teaching, and they're

being lazy. I'm sorry. It sounds condemning,

but I'm not. It's do your work. It's not hard.

I did it. It's just fine. Verse after verse after

verse, you can see what the day is. It says the

day, the day, the day. It doesn't matter. It's

the same day. He says it. He makes it very clear.

And you can't take Martha. You've got to take

Martha at her word, I think. Right? I'm being

facetious. Yes. For I know he will resurrect

on the last day. Yeah. So that's my encouragement

to you. And to that I say, amen. Father, I want

to thank you so much for your goodness and faithfulness.

Thank you, Lord, for your word. Help us, Lord,

to settle in our mind, in the state of our mind,

the reality and the truth of that great day.

The day of our great salvation, our transformation,

the final work completed. in us and for us because

of you. And also the great day of the eradication

of all things that are antithetical to you. We

praise you and we thank you in Jesus' name.