The Day of the Lord | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from as church. We hope this message

will light up your day. The title for the message here we're covering from

Second Peter chapter three is about the day of the Lord. Man. But

the whoa the day of the Lord turned with me to Second Peter chapter three.

Okay, it's a final chapter of the series, and this will be

the final part of it um And you know this, this has been a

very powerful series. I hope for you all. It's covering from Peter warning

the church about the end of days. While it's coming from there for the

church, what the Christians should be concerned about for their faith, and also

the false teachings and false teachers. They will be coming to them as well.

And today we're going to be covering one main teaching that is what they

call it invaded and into the community. And instead a lot of the so

called false teachers has been teaching that the day of the Lord is not coming.

Now, the day of the Lord is not coming, and I will

share with you in a ratial world what it is. But let's start with

the scripture. First verse one, it says, yeah, beloved, I

now write to you this second epistle in both of which I stir up your

pure minds by way of reminder that you may be mindful of the words which

were spoken before by the Holy prophets. Okay, first of all, asking

us to be mindful and to be reminded, okay, by the words spoken

by the Holy prophets, means the ones back before them, before the prophets

are before the apostles. It's the Old Testament. So that's the first layer.

That's the first foundation. They have the words of the Holy Prophets,

and then and of the commandments of us, Okay, of the commandments of

us. Who is us? He says, he the apostles of the Lord

and Savior. Okay. So the first is the the words of the Holy

Prophets, and then the second one is the commandment of the Apostles. So

Peter is establishing very clear the authority that he has received, and not just

its authority, the authority of his world and his preaching. They are standing

together in the same rank as the Holy prophets, okay, the same ranks

as the author as the Holy prophets, same level. Again, knowing this

first, get continue innversitary. Knowing this first that scoffers Okay, will come

in the last days. So Peter is saying that based on what the Old

Testament is saying, and based on what we are saying, I want to

let you know that in the last days people, there will be people who

will scoff. Okay, there were people will scoff at the promises of the

Lord. Why and because they will start beginning to walk according to their own

last. Hey, they will start to walking according to their own last and

say, where is the promise of his coming? Okay? Scoffing means to

ridicule, to make fun, to make to mock. Okay, when it's

Jesus coming. Now, let's pause there for a while. Okay, So

what we're talking about it there is the day of the Lord. Okay,

in the Day of the Lord. It's it's found not just in the New

Testament, it's found in the Old Testament. It is the day what happens

all the time, It's a specific day that will culminate. Okay. It

is a final point where Jesus will come to judge. Okay, to judge

and to restore the world. Okay, you will come to judge and to

restore the world. What happens in the judgment. Okay. Basically, the

Bible says that God will separate the ships and the goats, and he will

met out judgment those who are godly, those who are ungodly, those who

believe, and those who don't believe as well. And after that judgment,

okay, you must understand the world. When Adam and Eve sin, the

world has always been under a curse. Okay. The world has always been

under a curse, and there's always been waiting for the Lord like a world

that you know is described as like a woman and like a like a mother

in labor for nine months, you know, in that pain, waiting and

waiting for that delivery. The world is waiting for that when the Lord will

come and remove that curse. And when pon they remove of that curse,

God will make all things new. That is described as the Day of the

Lord. Okay, So no confusion here, It's very clear. So there's

two parts. There is the judgment and there is the restoration of that as

well. And because of that, so people asking when is that happening?

Okay, the Holy prophets has been talking about it for centuries, centuries and

centuries, and now Jesus comes and talks about it again and again, and

now time that has passed, and now the apostles start talking about it again

and again. They don't see it coming, and they are scoffing. Why

do they scoff Because you must understand when you hear the news about something,

it's about to God is about to judge, and God is about to make

things new. It affects our plans. It's simply, you know, it

just affects our plans. If you know that this last quarter of twenty twenty

three, maybe say for example, from October to December, the weather it's

going to be so bad that you can't fly anywhere. Would you make holiday

plans? No, you won't make holiday plans. And because you won't make

holiday plans, you will save differently, you will live differently, you will

plan differently. Everything changes you get in right, It affects your lifestyle.

Expect affects what you what you anticipate, and so people are not just trying

to plan, but the plan in a certain way that they are inclined to

their plan according to what they treasure and value the most. If you value

a lot of family time, you will want to spend your final court of

the year to go on a trip with a family, having family times.

You get me in right. If you don't treasure that so much, you

maybe you want to do other things. Yes, you may do it as

well, but people tend to follow after where their heart is. And the

thing is when people start to realize, Okay, I know God is coming

and I will wait for him. But the longer time delays, you start

not to think about just about the master. You start to think about what

you are missing out, true or not. When you sometimes like, you

know, hey, you know, go for a meeting, say okay,

wow, Saturday nighttime, seven o'clock. That's like our primetime. You know,

try not prime time, isn't it? Oh? I don't want to

do this, but okay, let's go. But then you realize that the

first person is showing up late seven thirty eight o'clock and then come and know

and it's like, hey, what is going on? It's wasting my time.

You start not thinking about that person. You start to think about what

I could have done, what you are missing out, isn't it. I

could have been hanging out with my friends. I could have been at home,

you know, playing games, you know, watching my Netflix you know,

you start to think about what you are missing out and why are you

missing out from? You only miss you start to miss out on what the

things that you find pleasure in. Isn't it what gives you the most pleasure?

Comfort, value, convenience, isn't it? And start to review what's

your true pleasure? True or not that's really what it really do you enjoy?

And it start to say here that the scoffers start to work according to

their own last. Okay, you know they said that last. It's a

very strong word. But what last represents means that what you chase after,

what you long after, what you desire, You desire the promises of the

world, what the world projects to you, what the world offers to you,

and because you are waiting for the Lord, you feel like you are

missing out on it. Okay, And so that's what people are scoffing at.

They are not scoffing because they're waiting a lot of time. They are

scoffing because there's something of an opportunity that is lost there. Okay, now

let's continue. It says here in verse for for since the fathers fell asleep,

all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. Okay,

for this they will they willfully forget. Okay, willfully forget that by the

word of God, the heavens were of all, and the earth standing out

of water, and in the water, by which the world that then existed

parish being flooded with water. Okay, let's stop for a while. Sounds

very confusing. What they miss is saying is that, you know, when

the earth was created? Okay, they forget that the waters were there all

the time. Okay, what were all the time? Okay, But yet

people don't realize that, hey, they were reserve for something, reserve that

God was looking upon the earth and everywhere he saw that the heart of man

was only filled with wickedness. Okay, wickedness. You look at that the

earth, the water looks so harmless. But yet the water was reserved for

something, and he was eventually used for what Okay, as God's instrument of

judgment upon the earth as well. Give me right, you don't realize it,

but the judgment, the instrument was always there. It's like, uh,

you know, how you how you know how many of you know this

show? I know it's quite funny. Suddenly come in my mind, you

know, this show called Pouching Tians. Everybody knows her, you know,

seriously, Okay, do you know this? There's this dark skin tan you

know, Judge and I looked like in a long beard and know it's a

Chinese show. And then he will have all the different lawyers. Okay,

he was known for his dark skin. But you must understand there's one thing

rave unique about his quarter, his deadline. There was this instrument of exec

execution. It's a tiger gallatin and a tiger gallutin a gullety made of a

tiger, and basically they will basically execute a person on the spot there one.

So when you appear before the judgers, the executed the instrument of executor

just right beside there, you know. So for the common people it's a

tiger, but for the royal level it's form of a dragon. Did you

know that? Actually learned this when I was young enough for my dad.

So it's quite scary because you look at that, it's the instrument of judgment

who has always been there. And so God is saying you know that,

Peter is saying that you look around and you live your life as say,

God is not around, God is not coming But what escapes your eyes is

that the instrument of judgment is right in front of you. That water that

you like to drink, you surfing, that is reserved as an instrumental judgment.

Why must you remember that? Because the instrument or judgment is to let

you know that God is watching that gallanting, you know, garating. That

instrument of punishment is to remind you that if you lie to the judge,

he will find that, and if you find out, he will punish you.

Then makes sense, right now, That's what Peter is trying to remind

them. You don't realize you live a safe like there is no God.

But when it's right in front of you, he said it, and there

is an evidence and there's a history about it. When how God used the

water to flood the earth during the days of Noah, there was very clearly.

So history has given you one example for that. Then it says here

verse seven, But the heavens and the earth, which are now preserved by

the same word preserve, means that the heavens and the earth now are preserved

by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and

perdition of ungodly men. So right now, if you're not very sure.

If you look at it right now, the earth, you look at it

none, The earth is beautiful. But Peter is trying to tell us this

earth will fade away, and not only fade away, it will melt,

and it will be an instrument or judgment against those people who are ungodly.

And he says here in verse it, 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 one day. The Lord is not slight concerning

his promise as some counsel likeness, but it's long suffering towards us, not

willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. He says

that God has put make very clear all these evidences of his presence, of

his law, of his judgment. But God also is waiting. God is

also not delaying, but he is continually extending again why because he has long

suffering towards us. He desires not any one of us to perish, but

to come to repentance as well. Okay, God's plan was always for us

to him. God's plan for us was always or us the way that we

will acknowledge him that we will walk according to his ways. Now my question

here is that why, no, of course, why is God taking so

long? Why? Of course we learn here that God is merciful. But

on another reason also, it's because you know that we can learn here from

the Gospels that Jesus gives us the reason why God takes so long? Why

God is extending? How many of you have heard of the parable of the

talents? How many of you have heard of the parable of the miners?

Okay, very similar midstial talents, same concept, same story. A master

gives his workers talents, he leaves, and he comes back, and what

does he do? He requires an account from different one of them. And

he didn't say it for a short time. He says that for a long

time. Isn't it oh this long time? What would people do or people

forget? Is it their money or the Lord's money? Is it their time?

You see? Uh, you know there are people who will be faithful.

But there is one particular, you know, servant who became unfaithful.

And the reason why the servant gave to become unfaithful after so long he said

that because Master, I know that you are a hard man. You reap

where you do not sow. Okay, what does it mean? It means

that he started too, He tells the master, Say, Master, I

think that you are right unreasonable man. Okay, you know you like to

take what you do not own. Okay, you like to take credit for

something that you do not sow. Everything that we do belongs to you.

Then what do we have? See when you don't take care of things and

take care of your heart, that is what happens to our hearts, isn't

it. You start to realize, Hey, it's you know, it's my

money, It's not really God's. You know, Hey, I'm doing this.

I have a winning When God start to delay, you start to realize

that, hey, I have plans. But when God comes, his plan

is affecting my plan. Who should make way? Then you get me right?

My plans on God's plan is affecting our plan. Who moves? You

change your plan or I change my plan? Isn't it? It becomes contentious?

So the delay eventually is to reveal the hearts of the servants who truly

are the faithful ones. You know, I want want to give a word

to be you or so? Is that you know I believe that there will

be times, there will be challenging. You know, I believe that starting

strong it's a very powerful sign that God is with us, and God is

not and God it's not slacking. He's going to use this momentum to and

the run to extend the hearts to let you guys know that when you guys

meet and you know, and sometimes you will see roadblocks, you will fall

back upon the faithful word of God, the memories that God's promises has always

been faithful to you. Sometimes you see things happening that you do not understand.

Sometimes things will you know, wear your heart down and then you're like,

what not? How what to do? What? How do I go

on? Do I stay on? Do I reach out more? Do I

fall bad? Do I've conformed to the world. God will remind you again,

you know, it's it's a long, arduous road, but it's filled

with long suffering love and hope, and God wants us to be faithful.

When you see other servants not taking the money for themselves, other servants doing

their own things, starting their own business instead of the Master's business. God

will remind you again who you are and who He is. I am coming

I'm in coming. Okay. So the other question I put out here is

down, can we still serve God and mammon? Can we still serve God

and mammon? No, one's mamon. Mamo means money the world. It's

a good questions in it. Can we really serve God and mamo and wait

for God to come back saying, hey, the servants, I thought I

thought I hired you guys. I saved you guys. But yeah, he

comes back to see the servants serving another master. Is it possible for us

to be ready by serving two masters? Because sometimes a lot of us,

as this Christians, we like to play these balancing act. Isn't it maybe

I do abuse of these? No, the world's talking about having a balanced

life, isn't it. Maybe I will have these and I will have that.

If I don't take care of these, God will never take care of

this as well. It's kind of funny, isn't it. Don't know when

I say this, pleep, beyond the understanding, I'm not saying that God

will not minister to you to become a good and a faithful family person.

No, No, I'm not asking you that all of us here must be

full time workers. You know, but I'm talking about the condition of our

heart. You know, in your work, in your home, as a

mother, as a father, as a brother, as a child. It

is your heart fully for God. You get me in, right, Yeah,

use your heart fully for God. Wherever you are, you serving in

your heart it's your heart's devotion for the Lord. Okay, can we still

serve both God and Mammon? Then the ninth that then we're talking about The

last question I put here was are we taking God's patience for granted? Are

we taking God's patience for granted? Sometimes that's some of us says, Hey,

you know, God is still merciful, God is still providing. But

yet at the same time, right, God may be trying to deal with

us on things. You know, doesn't mean that there are still graces in

your life? Are that what you are doing? It's not wrong, it's

not wrong. You know, you must understand that. You know, doesn't

mean that. You know, Adam when he's saying that he was still walking

in the garden of Eden, you know, the only thing he did was

there when God come near to him, he hit. So Christians can do

the same things in it. You can be a Christians okay, walking around

bearing the name of Jesus, bearing the number bearing the name as a Christian.

Or here, when God comes, you hid hiding his believers, hiding

as Christians. So don't do that now. In verse ten, it says

here, I'm speeding up because of time. In Verse ten, here he

says, the day of the Lord, I'll give you a preview of white

such what it says here Peter says that, but the day of the Lord

will come. As a thief in the night means that you do not know.

As a thief in the night means what when you are asleep siddenly,

quickly. It's not like whoa. It's very clear in six months time the

day of the Lord will come. Nobody knows. Someone was asking me during

a question, this very good question, Oh is it? You know it's

a it's a very very very common question. Do you believe in the millennial?

The pre millennial, post millennial, a millennial, post rapture, pre

rapture, mid rapture, whatever rapture would come out? Ready? You know,

who needs the Lord coming? And I said this, you know,

and I thought about it for a while, and I thought, I thought

about the scripture when was the last time in the scripture. They just saw

that the people were trying to prophet science about the coming of the Lord.

People were really guessing. People were really trying to time the time. It

was during Jesus's time. Before Jesus came, everybody was seeking for science.

King Herod was seeking for science. The Pharisees and the s Aducs were looking

for science. Even the peace even the wise men from the east were looking

for science of the East or west amer Okay, from the west, I

think, okay, we're looking for science. Everybody was looking for signs.

But yet all these people who were looking for signs are how many of them

miss the birth of Jesus? And why did they miss the birth of Jesus?

Because it was not about how smart you are, It's about how prepared

you are. See, God is faithful. And now before he came,

who did he send John the Baptist. He didn't send a teacher to tell

you what are the signs? You know? He sent John the Baptists so

that he would prepare the way, prepare the hearts by take by teaching them

repentance. He didn't teach them about pre rapture post rapture or anything. We

shouldn't be fighting about what's the timing inner. We should be fighting how many

people are repenting their hearts. That's the goal. Learning about when the end

times. It is not for you to hide in the cave so that all

the Lord comes, you know, learning about the knowing that the Lord is

coming and the Lord judgment is coming, is so that for you will you

will prepent, and that you will help to preach discovered so that people will

repent, and when God comes, they are ready, not that you are

ready, okay, God, that everyone is ready. That is what the

purpose of John the Baptist is. So I will ask the same question if

John the Baptist is here, what will he say? Oh? Will he

preached? So don't get caught up with all this end time. He came

in right, No way enough so that you get prepared. Don't get into

an argument with people. Know what I mean? It's don't I find it

quite pointless that I came in right, and you will be like the people

who Jesus came. You'd missed it. Now he's standing right, and you

missed it because your hearts were not prepared. Amen, makes sense or not?

We must learn from the scripture, learn the lessons that was taught,

so that we don't miss it again. That's why the Bible said, Jesus

will come again like a thief in the night, okay, like a thief

in the night, okay, in which the heaven will pass away with a

great noise, and the elements will mate with fervent hit. While the elements

you know, were mad with fervent hit. But of the earth, the

works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these

things will be dissolved, what manner of person ought you to be in holy

conduct and godliness, looking and looking for and hastening the coming of the day

of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire,

and the elements will melt with fervent hit. Basically, why he says

that if you know that these all these things are coming, why are you

still courting it? It would not be pleasant enough. The judgment will not

be pleasant. Why are you courting it? Why are you leaving your life?

When is the day of the world? Where is the day of the

Lord? Don't court the style of things? Okay? But inverse the thing

it says Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heaven

and the new Earth in which righteousness dwells. I told you that God will

judge, God will restore the earth. But it's not the old earth,

but it's a new earth. How many of you know why it's happening in

the new Earth. How many of you think that when we die, we're

gonna stay in heaven? WHOA, what does the Bible say we go to

heaven or we go back here down here? Sure not. I think a

lot of people have rere confused. Right now. I thought we're going straight

to heaven. Yes, it will be with the Lord, yes, But

we are called to a new earth. You'll come back again, but it's

like a totally new and there are many scriptures that tells us what you will

be lying. I just give you a few hintler revelations to any one.

You can say, is that he said there will be normal sea. Oh

interesting, there's no seas. If you take it literally, like, okay,

it says normal seas, there will be no more death. You can

read in revelations to any one normal mourning, normal weeping, normal pain,

normal curse, normal night time because the light will not be from the sun,

but the sun will be coming out from God, and the light coming

up from us. Because God do health in us. There will be no

more temper, because God is a temper. We are the outer share God

living inside us. We worship him. There will be no remembrance of the

past anymore. In Isaiah sixty five, saying you know, for behold,

I create new heaven and a new Earth, and the former shall not be

remembered or come to mind. You won't even know what happens in the previous

earth. It won't even come to your mind. There will be no more

sorrow for it. Okay. So there will be a new Earth and a

new heaven for all of us. Okay. And there will be a new

capital city as well. It's called New Jerusalem. Okay. Then the last

one, it says here in verse fourteen, be steadfast. Okay. Therefore,

beloved, looking forward to these things, be deligion to be found by

Him in peace without sport and b blamed us. And that is what I

want to declare over xbu Okay, to be diligent, To be diligent,

that is why we need workers can do this on our own. We do

it not because we want to feel good, not because we are self righteous,

not because we want to have more social media content. Okay, because

God has commanded us to be diligent, simple as that. No, I'm

speaking to leaders and non leaders. We do it because this is the commandment

of the Lord. The end is coming. We must be what diligent,

being diligent to be found in by Him. In peace Wow means that when

God finds us, what happens, we are at peace, you know,

peace with Him and peace with the world around us. You know, God

has forgiven us and we must make peace with everyone around us as well.

It's very important. Now God doesn't want to find us are fighting with each

one another and all. So the hard job of keeping the church out is

to what help have peace in this church. There will be a very big

task for you, Pastor Stephen and I you know, and I charge also

give charge to all the local espial to really help to keep the peace members

as well, partners keep the peace. There will be offenses people. There

will be some time a word I say, Pastor Stephens say, or someone

the Holy Day there was less than savory. There will be misunderstandings. Please

understand, we must learn to forgive. We must forgive. We must be

gracious, We must be we must be long suffering, as the Lord is

long suffering with us. Okay, don't just because of offense that you leave

already. God wants to find the church at peace, in peace and without

sport and blameless means that what that each, that the role of the church

and the leaders and for you all is that your lives are found to be

spotless and blameless. God has saved you, God has washed you. Then

the job of the church is to preach the world and to what to make

sure that the continual walking of the members are in a spotless way. I

mean right, I'm walking in the light. You maintain that spotless lifestyle.

It's easy, you know, it sounds easy, isn't it. But when

you walk in life, when you have challenges, when you have when you

have all these distractions, I can tell you it's it's it's it's not.

It doesn't take a lot to break a family. You want to know,

it doesn't take a lot to break a father. And between the husband and

a wife one and all, it doesn't take a lot. How to break

up the leadership one and all, It doesn't take a lot to break up

a homes one at all. It's not It can tapen me in just a

day like that bomb and people just turn away. It doesn't just take It

doesn't take a lot out to turn the faith of your children, you know,

you know, I mean, right, something happens, something they saw

or something they hurt, something of an event boom because you forgot to watch,

you know, like see like Adama, how did he let I leave

Eve to be on her own just bet with the tree because he wasn't there

Gemmi right. So he's one of the first things that Adam was supposed to

be responsible was that he was always Eve was always within his watching. He

was always knowing where Eve was when you don't know where if was. All

the people that you're responsible where they are? That means they are unguarded.

Where are your ships? Where are your children? Where your family members?

Where are there? Right now? Some of you are seeing it right in

front of you, maybe happening to your father, maybe happening your mother,

maybe happening to your family members, and you are seeing I'm folding right in

front of you, But you do nothing. You just say maybe God will

do something. No, you are there for reason people, you are there

to really, first of all, seek the Lord and pray that God will

interview and spare your family. You know, gamming right, You don't let

Eve just then their head have all the conversation with the snake. Gave me

right, that's what happens. You gave me right. You know the woman,

of course, she is helpless. The man was supposed to be there

because the man hurt. You see her. When God gave the world,

who did he give it to Adam? Before Eve was created? You know

Evan Adam was the head and he hurt the word. He was supposed to

protect the wife with the word, but instead he let her go anywhere she

wants. And then she comes to the street and then where are you,

Adam? You're blame the wife. That's why when God said that, then

hey, did he go to Evans. No, he went to Adam first,

because Adam was responsible for her. Everything that happens to her, Adam

was responsible, and so the same massage as well, everything that happens to

this family, to this church. We are responsible to keep watch. You

gave me right. We must we receive the world. We must watch over

our ship. You as a family member if you're a parent, you receive

the world from God. You must watch over your children. It must be

diligent nor backdoors, not for the enemy to slider around to send any type

of thing to you and your family. Kay verse fifty. And consider that

the long suffering of our Lord is salvation. K means that those who suffer

long who those who endure, the reward is salvation. And also our belived

brother Paul, who according to the wisdom was given to him, has written

to you, and as also in all his episodes, speaking in them of

these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and

unstable people twist to their own destruction, as do all as they do also

with the rest of the scriptures. Okay, so what Peter is saying is

basically that, like I said, Peter was not the only one who was

writing letters to all the Christians. Paul was also writing the letters. And

Paul was writing some of these letters, especially in the Thessalonians. He talks

about the rapture, he talks about being with the Lord. No hat started

some of these things that some people were their took hold of. He's like,

wow, new material, new recipe. Also let's try it out.

And they never submit to the local leadership or to the apostles teaching or try

to really understand it, you know, in a holistic manner, in a

way that that is befitting of the Christian. They start to have their own

interpretation, start to have their own like, no, it's imagine that we

have a church here. Start to have their own small Bible studia, but

without the pastor knowing one. And then they have their own Bible study and

they have their own interpretation because they were untaught and they're unlearned. They start

to say, hey, Peter, you're teaching it's not is contradicating with Paul.

Peter say, it's never contradicting. It is you who perverted it.

It start trying to say that hey, mommy and Dadia give the old different

instructions one or all a mommy, and they didn't never give the wrong instruction.

You confused it, Sam saying that of course we humans are we make

mistakes love, but God doesn't make mistakes. God doesn't make mistakes with with

his disciple of his apostles. So people were perverted. People will always abuse

because why they are after their own last If you if you are last fool,

okay, if you wonders, if you are after the world. Technically

you can make the Bible say anything you want. One and a did you

know that if you are not under the submission and control of anyone, you

can make the Bible say anything you want. You can create your own religion

from make one. It's so dangerous, you know. Okay, So in

the as I closest part. So you therefore beloved, since you know this

beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness. Okay. So

it's a warning and an encouragement. Don't fall from your own steadfastness okay.

Means you're always being aware, being ready, being alert, being led away

with the error of the wicked. But grow in the grace and knowledge of

our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now

and forever. Amen. And here ends the letter of the Apostle Peter.

Amen. We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information on

our church, please visit us Church RG. We are also active on Facebook

and Instagram. We're believing that this week is going to be a good week,

a hit for you. God bless