To Be Found by God in a State of Peace and not of Struggle

SERMON # 1113-CHURCH IN THE HOUSES DATE: JULY 26, 2020

TOPIC: "To Be Found by God in a State of Peace and not of Struggle" 2 Peter 3:11-15 Peter has spoken to the scoffers and now in these verses he takes another route. Now Peter speaks to the saints. He wants the believers who read his letters to know that this world will end and that this is a new motive to lift their eyes to eternal things. And therefore, TO LIVE HOLY!

I. Obligations that correspond to the believers.

A. To hurry, to prepare to walk spiritually promptly!

1. (Vs. 11) "Since everything will be destroyed..."

2. Peter then warns about the kind of people we should be with a holy conduct and godliness.

3. Beware, brother, that all material things in this world has the purpose of dissolving, it disappears!

4. The things men boast about, the things they live for, are at best ephemeral things, brief, short.

5. Living for material things is living for what is temporal!

6. Common sense calls us to move away from the "tinsel of this world", which is what is very appealing but of little value, from what "imitates gold but is made of brass" and away from the "toys of this world”, so that we may live in holiness and piety.

7. It is simply a matter of living for eternity and not for this short time of earthly existence.

8. It is imperative to highlight the spiritual instead of the material, to choose what remains over what is fleeting.

9. (Vs. 12) We believers should be expectant, waiting and observing with interest and curiosity what happens. We should be waiting attentively and longing for “…the coming of the day of God…”

10. “The day of God” refers to the eternal state that will come, which the Lord has promised us.

11. That day will be the final phase of the Day of Jehovah, when the heavens and the earth will be destroyed.

12. THE DAY OF GOD IS THE DAY OF THE TOTAL AND DEFINITIVE TRIUMPH OF THE LORD!

13. For this reason, it is a day that we should earnestly hope and long for and, for such reason, live holy and pious!

14. Let us know that the heavens burning will be undone and the elements, being burned, they will melt.

15. In the day of Jehovah, the final destruction will take place and this final judgment will take place before the Day of God can be introduced.

16. (Vs. 13) For the Day of God we expect new heavens and a new earth, in which "... justice dwells."

17. In this earthly life justice does not dwell.

18. This supports the perspective that the Day of God refers to the eternal state, when there will be a new heaven and a new earth!

19. Peter talks about how righteousness will dwell in these new heavens and new earth!

20. In eternity, justice will dwell!

21. JUSTICE WILL BE IN HIS HOUSE, IN THE HOUSE OF GOD!

22. Sin will not enter there to affect the peace or beauty of that scene!

23. (Vs. 14) This truth regarding the new heavens and the new earth SHOULD DEEPEN OUR DESIRE TO LIVE IN A HOLY WAY AS WELL AS THE LORD.

24. Not only is this a truth that we should hold, but a truth that should sustain us until we meet the Lord!

25. The knowledge that we will soon be before God should create in us a desire to be spotless and blameless, that is, to be morally clean!

26. IT SHOULD MAKE US JEALOUS OF BEING FOUND IN A STATE OF PEACE AND NOT OF STRUGGLE!

27. BE MEEK and not a beast for your Creator!

28. (Vs. 15) The patience of our Lord is for salvation!

29. His delay in judgment has as its motive to give men a wide opportunity of salvation.

30. His patience is amazing! But there is a reason for it, God does not want the death of the wicked!

31. God longs to see people turn from their wicked ways to be saved!

32. Peter mentions that Paul has also taught them about God's patience (Romans 2:4). "...as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom that has been given him, has written to you..."

a. (Galatians 2:11, 12) The apostle Paul had rebuked Peter, but Peter humbly accepted the rebuke. We should receive the correction without harboring resentments.

b. Peter acknowledges that Paul had been given divine wisdom in writing his Epistles. It is an indication that Peter considered Paul's writings inspiring.

33. Peter's readers had evidently read one or more of Paul's Epistles. It may be that some of these letters were addressed to them directly or circulated in the region. (Romans 2:4) “Or do you show contempt for the riches of HIS KINDNESS, TOLERANCE AND PATIENCE, NOT REALIZING THAT GOD'S KINDNESS LEADS YOU TOWARD REPENTANCE?"

34. What can we say or allege? Our Lord has been patient with our lives so that we may become saved and participate in eternity with Him! Amen.