The Final End of the Universe Part III 2 Peter 3:1-13

Two weeks ago in part one of this sermon the final end of the universe. We looked at the beginning of 2nd Peter 3 where Peter predicts that secular false teachers Will rise up. Mocking the teaching of the Bible that Jesus Christ is coming back to the earth.

Remember we looked at 2nd Peter 2. 2nd Peter 2 describes false teachers, but they're false teachers with a Christian veneer. Okay, so they claim Christ, but really they're preaching a different gospel.

The Worldly Church and the Return of Christ

2nd Peter 3 is describing these secular false teachers last week. We talked about people like Neil deGrasse Richard Dawkins we talked about Bill Nye. People like that who mock the creation they mock the flood.

They mock that Christ is going to come back to the earth. In 2nd Peter 3 verses 3 and 4 people like this say. They say where is the promise of his coming for ever since the father's fell asleep. All things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.

These secular false teachers don't believe in the story of the Bible. They believe that this world is just here and year after year decade after decade century after century. Millennia after millennia the earth just continues on.

They say no one should expect an abrupt end to this world like the Bible teaches. Peter predicted that these people would come and they have come in Peter's day they were there and these scoffers have been in every generation since Christ Ascended to heaven and if anything they have increased in our day as the return of Christ nears.

Now these are the people that Peter is addressing. But what I find interesting and Troubling at the same time is how influenced the church has been by the world on this topic. The end of all things the return of Christ.

You go to churches. Some people go to churches for years and There's no mention of the return of Christ. Well, it's kind of that's kind of strange. Now in this church we have detailed very thoroughly The strong influence the world has had on the American Church, especially in recent years.

Through secular philosophies that easily get mixed in but consider this. Do you think a worldly church is going to be focused on the return of Christ? The time when Christ makes all things new as he comes back to the earth and the answer is no.

This could sometimes get lost as we think about the lifelessness and uselessness of the modern American Church. And as we ask the question, do you think a worldly church is going to be focused on the return of Christ?

The answer is no. They are so engulfed in the world's thinking that teaching on the return of Christ will at best Be a backburner issue. Two weeks ago. I shared the story of a faithful pastor Who passed on what another compromised pastor said Concerning the end of the world and the return of Christ.

This faithful pastor is a man by the name of David Whitney. I Interviewed David Whitney on pastor Jeff clearers podcast tearing down the high places. Some of you have seen this. I sent this out on the church news blast.

I sent it to you Individually as well and when I tell people when I send it to him, you're gonna find this interesting Helpful and troubling all at the same time. And this interview really shows us the times that we live in.

What has happened to David Whitney is that he and his church were essentially forced out of the evangelical free Church of America now the evangelical free Church of America is a movement that's dear to my heart because My great-grandparents when they came over from Sweden actually joined this movement.

They were actually present in 1950 at Medicine Lake in Plymouth, Minnesota when the merger happened between the sweetest Church and the Norwegian Church. Which became at that point in 1950 the evangelical free Church of America?

Now the reason David Whitney and his church were removed is because he kept his church open during Kovac. That's how it all started. And here's what's interesting about pastor David Whitney. He is Far advanced beyond most pastors.

Okay. What I what I mean by that is he understands the relationship between The church and the state and how we should view that how the Bible views that how church views that history. Correctly viewed it and what has been lost in the present day.

So it's very fascinating that he's actually a guy that people should be seeking counsel on about these issues. He understood that the government cannot tell the church what to do, you know. And I know he would say, you know if people needed to stay home.

They could stay home, but we were gonna meet because for most people this is not gonna kill them, right? And it's important as Hebrews 10 24 and 25 says to meet together as The day draws near we need to stir one another one another up to love and good works.

And so pastor David Whitney understood this and from this point on he became scrutinized. The leadership who has very much been influenced by secular ideas told him you are not of the ethos of the Evangelical free church and in this meeting they told him they actually told him this we have been studying critical race theory.

And not to critique it, but actually gaining insights into it in Critical race theory is a satanic teaching that originated with Karl Marx. They found it.

Insightful.

Do we say ever that Mormonism we Mormonism has insights. Islam has insights. Hinduism has insights. We never say those things because it's ridiculous. So why would someone say critical race theory has insights?

That's a serious compromise that's taking place. That's if anybody ever says that and anybody who ever says that should not be a pastor. But these three men were pastors who had this interview with David Whitney.

David Whitney taught no heresy, but they told him he doesn't fit because I'm putting this in my own words. This is the truth. He hasn't been influenced by the world as they have. He sticks too closely to the Bible and that's a problem.

Because they like some of Christianity, but they also like the world. This was about a four-year process. But finally over the last couple months they were told to leave or get or get kicked out. So pastor Whitney and his church officially left what pastor Whitney told?

Myself and other pastors on a zoom call recently is that one in leadership one of the three men who actually told him When are you gonna leave because they found out his church was open during kovat. One of the pastors actually said this which I find very interesting as it ties to our text this morning.

I haven't talked about the end times in years. This was a pastor. But he also said I've been studying critical race theory so you see that you see the connection here there's a connection between embracing worldly Secular philosophies and having little care to no care about the fact that Christ is coming back.

Very interesting. This is no surprise to hear this. When you think of it It is plain and clear in the New Testament that Christians need to constantly be reminded About the fact that this world is coming to an end and Christ is going to come back.

It is in the Gospels. It's all over Paul's 13 letters. It's in the epistles including in what we have seen in first and second Peter. Christians need to hear about The end of all things the return of Christ.

If we don't hear about this We're gonna have deficiencies. Problems will come. What problems may arise? To not talk about the return of Christ will make one lethargic in a crit and a Christian will also lack urgency in the Christian life.

To not focus on Christ return may lead a believer not to do what one is supposed to do. This morning as we continue our sermon series through second Peter the Apostle Peter stresses the importance of Thinking about the end.

There's a reason this last chapter that Peter ever wrote is Focused on the return of Christ and how we are to think about the return of Christ and not just the return of Christ. But everything that surrounds the return of Christ.

So this time I encourage you to turn in a Bible with me to second Peter chapter 3 this is part 3 of This sermon titled the final end of the universe verses 1 through 13 of 2nd Peter 3 we've already seen verses 1 through 7.

Today's focus is verses 8 through 13. So I'm gonna read these verses and then we'll jump in 2nd Peter 3 verses 8 through 13. But do not overlook this one fact beloved. That with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness. But as patient toward you not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance but the day of the Lord will come like a thief and then the heavens will pass away with the war 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 things are thus to be dissolved What sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness? Waiting for in hastening in 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.

God's Timeless Perspective and the Delay of Judgment

Okay. So here's our big idea for this three Sunday sermon. We've seen this the last two Sundays and here it is again. Understand that God's biggest judgment for this rebellious world is reserved for the end and Here is the fourth fact that the world must know.

The day of reckoning has been delayed for the sake of all the redeemed down through history. The day of reckoning has been delayed for the sake of all the redeemed down through history. Now we get to the part of the passage that sees the return of Christ and the end of the universe from God's eternal perspective.

We just read this in verses 8 through 10 Where Peter once again writes that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as.

One day.

What Peter is saying here is that God sees all of history equally.

Vividly.

Since he is outside of time a Day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day to him. Well, what we experience is the slow progress of time. There's no great analogy for this in everyday life.

But I've heard theologians explain it in this way it's like paging through a book. We can see the beginning the middle and the end as we skim through a book and this is what God is like. He's outside of time seeing all of history and If he were in time, he would not be God.

I've actually seen some philosophers say no God actually entered time. That's heresy God is outside of time. The Lord is perfect in every way including him not being bound by time as we and angels are even angels Are bound by time?

Now as we have already seen in the sermon the wicked say why has it been so long? Why isn't the story of the Bible wrapping up as. They say this they are mocking right there's scoffers as Peter writes the fact that so much time has gone by must mean that The people who said he was going to come back were wrong and he is not going to come back.

Which proves that the Bible is false and therefore the wicked will not be judged including these scoffers who live for their own sinful desires and very much don't want the Bible to be true and To comfort themselves they say look at all this time that has gone by he is not coming back.

There's no judgment awaiting us. Peter reminds his readers though. Who might be starting to be influenced by these scoffers because we could be in this position of saying it's been a long time. In 1948 there was a book written 80 it was at 1988.

I think it was 88 reasons why Christ is going to come back in 1988 and obviously that person was wrong that books that book sold a lot in 1987 and then obviously stopped selling from that point on. But again people were thinking well, lots of things are happening.

Think of all that's happened since 1988. It's been a wild world in that time, especially in the most recent years. And people say easy going to come back. Christians can feel like Lord. When is this gonna happen?

We keep waiting. When is this going to happen, but as I mentioned What Peter is communicating when he writes that with the Lord one day is as 1 ,000 years and a thousand years as one day. Is that God is timeless?

He's eternal. We shouldn't think of God as we would a human. It is not as though the Lord has been waiting for Thousands of years for this world to come to an end as his people have throughout history.

Even the Lord's people cry out how long. And it's not unrighteous to say this How long Lord when are you gonna come back. Because it shows a desire for him to come back. There was a there was a hymn that we actually sing quite a bit in this church.

Come thou fount of every blessing. The hymn was written by Robert Robinson in 1758 and in that hymn we sing. Oh that day when freed from sinning I shall see thy lovely face clothed then in blood-washed linen how I'll sing thy sovereign grace.

Come my lord. No longer delay. No longer Terry. Take my ransom soul away. Send nine angels now to carry me to realms of endless days. He's just longing Lord. Bring this thing to an end. I just want to be with you.

I don't want to sin anymore. I want to dwell with you. There's this holy longing we're to have for the return of Christ and the end of all things. But this is not what the scoffers are doing. What they are doing is saying it's been so long.

See, we were right. He's not coming back. But Peter reminds us that these thousands of years is not a long time for God. He knows what he's doing. He will bring it all to an end in his perfect timing.

Everything has to happen first before the end can come. And what Peter writes in verse 9 is that God is not slow to fulfill his promises. His promises are a done deal and it's just a matter of time. He's eager to fulfill his promises to us.

And we know this from prophetic fulfillment that God always does. Fulfill his promises. Numerous prophecies have already been fulfilled. So if we ever get tired Thinking Lord, when are you coming back?

All we gotta do is look back. Look at what he's already done. And this is something that skeptics ignore. Of course skeptics love to ignore evidence. They love to do that. Look at the Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in Christ.

Look at the fairly recent prophecy that was fulfilled when Israel became a nation in 1948 in one day. Isaiah 66 8 says who has heard such a thing who has seen such things. Shall a land be born in one day?

Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment. For as soon as Zion was in labor. She brought forth her children.

Wow.

This was fulfilled in 1948 when after World War two and the Holocaust Jews were scattered all over the place and longing to return to their homeland. President Harry Truman Was supportive of Israel becoming a nation and the United Nations proclaimed Israel as a nation.

So as scripture said Israel became a nation in one day. What's what's interesting? Is that typically nations become nations like America by fighting for their land? They have to fight off their enemies and then they become a nation.

Israel very interestingly the government the you know. The United Nations proclaims them a nation and it's been said that Israel did not fight To become a nation, but they have had to fight to stay a nation.

Think of how many people are trying to wipe them off the face of the earth. Even what we see took place on October 7th. They're always fighting to keep their land. But as scripture said they became a nation in one.

Day.

And as we stand here in 2024 We now await the final prophecies to come to pass. Historically and as the past prophecies have come to pass the future prophecies most certainly will. Now now if you've ever wondered why God lets this earth go on and on as it is It's not because he has forgotten about his promises and saying oh, I need to get to that.

Or that he's lazy. No, not at all. Every plan of his is so intricate. What Peter tells us in verse 9 and 10 is that God is patient with you not wishing that any should perish. But that all should reach repentance.

When Peter says repentance, what does he mean? What he means is salvation. That moment of conversion when one crosses from darkness into light from death into life. He wants as many people as possible to reach salvation.

He wants as many people as possible to come to faith in Christ. We read that this morning First Timothy 2 for he desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now what we know from scripture is that there will be many people who perish.

To perish means to be sent to hell for all eternity. A John 3 16 is the most well-known verse in the Bible for God So loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish.

But have eternal life. Well, what's perishing mean in that verse? Well, it's the opposite of eternal life. It's eternal death. That's what perish means and that's what perish means in first Timothy 2 and That's what perish means here in second Peter 3 the Lord doesn't want to see his image bearers judged in hell forever.

But as a just God, he will bring judgment upon those who reject the truth and remain in their sins. Now as we look at this passage. It is true that God is patient with all people as the offer of the gospel goes out to the world.

But in verse 9 Peter writes that the Lord is patient with you. So the Lord is ultimately patient with whom? The people of God. The people who will be saved. There's a certain number of people who will be saved and the end Cannot come until those people are saved and included in the number who will dwell with Christ on the earth forever.

Think about that. If Christ came back in 1980 I Wouldn't be there right and many of you wouldn't be there. Many of you were not born yet in 1980. But he had a plan. So when I think about the return of Christ being delayed I'm glad he delayed it because I want to be in this kingdom right with Christ forever.

He has.

Babies are born. These babies are gonna be saved. These people are gonna dwell on the earth with Christ forever and The time is going to come when God is gonna say, okay. The the full number has come in and he is going to come back.

So God's patience is toward those who will come to faith in Christ. He is patient Toward the elect and once the fullness of the elect are gathered from the church and Israel. That is when Christ will return to the earth as Romans 11 25 says I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery.

Brothers a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. What Paul is saying is that when the final Gentile comes to faith in Christ the final member of the church?

Which we are a part of. When the final member comes to faith in Christ, this is when the rapture will happen. The Lord knows the last one who will come to faith and when that happens the focus will be mostly on the salvation of Israel.

Even though some Gentiles will be saved as Revelation 7 9 says some Gentiles will be saved during the final seven-year tribulation. But the focus will mostly be on Israel and the deep hardness of heart that Israel has had Against the Lord for 2 ,000 years this hardness of heart will be lifted.

Zechariah 13 8 tells us that one-third of the Jews will survive the final seven-year tribulation and These one-third will be saved. This is one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible. Zechariah 12 10 says.

And I will pour out on the house of David. That's Israel the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and please for mercy. This is the new birth. So that when they look on me on him whom they have pierced.

They shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and we bitterly over him as one weeps over a firstborn. The first time Christ came what did the Jews do with him? They killed him. They put him on a cross.

They rejected him the second time He comes when he comes from heaven to take his throne in Jerusalem they're gonna welcome him and they're gonna say blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord and he will reign in Jerusalem with his people.

The Day of the Lord and the Destruction of the Present Universe

And while the final people of world history are being saved the day of the Lord will come. Which in Scripture always? refers to God's judgment. Okay, whenever the scripture says the day of the Lord It's talking about this judgment that God is going to bring on the earth.

And it's not all bad because as this is going on people are coming to faith in Christ. And that's the blessing of that time. But the day of the Lord is when God judges this wicked world and this day will come like a thief.

Is that interesting? Do thieves tell people when they're gonna rob your house or a bank it's not like okay I'm gonna I'm gonna come at this time. And of course, I'd be the worst thief in the world, right?

They don't do that. When do thieves come they come when you don't expect them. And when the Bible says that the day of the Lord will come like a thief. What is it communicating? What is communicating is that it's going to come?

Unexpectedly, even though the Bible has been saying he's coming. He's coming. He's coming again. They say oh, he's not coming. It's gonna be abrupt it's gonna be unexpected it's gonna interrupt people's plans.

The Apostle Paul describes this day of the Lord as a surprise to unbelievers. First Thessalonians 5 2 through 4 Paul wrote you yourselves are fully aware That the day of Lord will come like a thief in the night while people are saying there is peace and security then sudden destruction will come upon them as Labor pains come upon a pregnant woman and they will not escape.

But you are not in darkness brothers for that day to surprise you like a thief. We know what's coming. The world doesn't. So this scoffing that comes from the unbelieving world where they? said these predictions about the end of the world in Scripture are not going to come to pass.

How wrong will they be and It will be too late and they will forever be under the judgment of God. And we have a world that is wholly Unprepared for the disaster that will come as predicted by Scripture.

Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated by tornadoes. And in recently I've been really into him. I've been following some storm chasers very interesting. Tornadoes are one of the most terrifying and majestic natural Phenomenons that takes place on the earth.

It's one of those things where people look at it, and you're so amazed by its Majesty, but then you realize wait. This is very dangerous this destroys Everything in its path. My father spent four years of his childhood in Joplin, Missouri.

And I remember taking a family vacation on our way to Texas where we actually spent the night in Joplin, Missouri, and we saw his childhood home on May 22nd 2011 this home along with about 7 ,000 others were completely destroyed by a massive f5 tornado.

More importantly 158 people were killed. It was the seventh deadliest tornado in u .s.. History. It was the most expensive tornado in u .s.. History. The damages cost 2 .8 billion dollars. On that day just like any other day people were going through their day going to work.

Going through their activities and all sudden this tornado rips through the entire town. And the town of Joplin, Missouri would never be the same the sudden destruction that natural disasters like tornadoes bring they give a picture of What the judgment on this earth will be like?

The day of the judgment of the Lord Will come and it will come and most of the world will not be ready. The day of the Lord begins after the church is raptured right before Christ's second coming. During the period known as the final seven-year tribulation.

Then what happens after the tribulation is that Christ will reign over a world full of peace and prosperity for? 1 ,000 years. Then once the 1 ,000 years are ended the day of the judgment of the Lord will come again.

It comes in phases after Christ 1 ,000 year reign. Satan will rebel one final time and This day which means this period day doesn't mean literal 24 hours here. It means a period this Period will be a time of judgment for the ungodly.

This final judgment as we saw in verse 7 culminates in the destruction of the universe. What verse 10 tells us is that the whole universe? Will be blown up when it says the heavens will pass away like a roar.

The heavens refers to the whole universe including the earth. Then verse 10 says the heavenly bodies will be burned up. This is referring to all the matter in the universe as I mentioned one week ago.

All matter is made of atoms and what science has learned about atoms is that they have the ability to cause mass explosions through fission and through fusion. Pulling them apart pushing them together and what's gonna happen?

Is there gonna be this? Explosion of all explosions that will take place and that'll be the end of this present universe. So don't get too attached. This is not your home. This your home is a place that is coming in the future.

This place is temporary. And you will notice at the end of verse 10 that there's a special focus on the earth. Because this is where the focus is in the beginning God created the heavens and Mars. No in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth this is where all the action happens and What Peter writes is that the earth will be consumed and the evil works that are done on it will be burnt up.

Now now your version says in the ESV. That's the version we use in this church. It says that the works done on it will be exposed. But your Bible may have a note on it and some of the some of some of the Manuscripts say that the works done on it will be burned up and I think that's That fits the context better.

So I think those that those manuscripts got it, right? The King James and the 1995 New American Standard Bible say the works done on it will be burned up because that's what is being described. But of course, why is this burning up happening in the first place?

It's happening because of the wickedness of mankind. Think about this the sinfulness of Humanity has polluted the entire universe when Adam and Eve sinned. God cursed the ground because of them as Genesis 3 17 says the Apostle Paul personifies the bondage of creation in Romans 8 verses 20 through 21.

The creation was subjected to futility. Not willingly but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will be set free From its bondage to corruption and attain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

The Lord will free the present creation by making it new he will destroy and then recreate. The day of reckoning has been delayed for his people's sake. God's biggest judgment for this creation is Reserved for the very end when it is known who are his and who are those who will be lost forever.

And if you are here today and have never trusted in Christ The call is there. Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. You can picture Noah before the flood the ark is built. The floods are gonna come.

Noah preaching Repent before this judgment comes. Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. So understand that God's biggest judgment for this rebellious world is reserved for the end. And the fourth fact the world must know is that the day of reckoning has been delayed for his people's sake and Here's the fifth and final fact the world must know and that is this this knowledge is intended to have a transforming impact on one's life.

Holiness, Godliness, and Living for the New Heavens and New Earth

Okay, this is why The Bible over and over again talks about the end. It's meant to impact your life in the present. Where Peter once again writes in verses 11 and 12 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.

So what Peter is telling his readers and us is that the future fact of the end times events and the future? Fact of the destruction of the universe Should have an enormous impact on you. It ought to change the way you live every single day.

If we don't heed scriptures stress on the end of the story. We will be missing something that the Lord intends for us to have the book in the Bible. And it focuses mostly on the end times is the book of Revelation and it's what I read this morning in Revelation 1 3 where John once again writes here blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and Blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it for the time is near.

The study of the end times is Intended to do something to you inwardly and the Lord's plan as to what happens to you inwardly is the blessing. You are blessed to know what it says and be impacted by what it says and what Peter says specifically in verse 11 is that it leads you to be a certain kind of Person that lives a life of holiness and godliness.

This is incredible to think about. Studying the end times is designed by God to make you reflect Christ more. Okay, think about that studying the end times Makes you reflect Christ more. So if we don't do that.

If we're like that one pastor, I haven't talked about the end times in years. Well, no wonder you love critical race theory. You love the world. You're not holy. You're ungodly. So then he tells us as you realize this world is on borrowed time.

You also realize what is coming as Peter writes in verse 13. According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. This world is coming to an end and we are citizens of a new land and In this new land, there's no sin as Peter writes.

This is a place where righteousness dwells in the Gospels. Jesus explains How how is he going to find the world when he comes back and in Matthew 25? He gives two different parables the parable of the ten versions and the parable of the talents and both these are focused on.

Are you ready? Some people will be ready. Some people will not be ready. Will he find us doing his work or will he find us going our own way? When the end of all things takes place. So if we are following the logic of Scripture We need to think of the study of the end times in this way.

It's not just some fascination. Like oh, this is interesting. It is interesting. Yes, it's so much more than that. We are to be careful how we are to live because we want him to find us doing his work and as Peter explains We are to live like heavenly citizens now because when the end comes this sinful planet will be gone and it will be replaced by a new planet where righteousness dwells forevermore.

If you knew Christ Was coming back next week wouldn't that change the way you lived. You wouldn't use swear words. You'd be kind to people. You'd share the gospel. You would take a stand where maybe you haven't been courageous enough yet to take a stand.

You would make that phone call. That's very difficult to make that you've been holding off. Think of how differently we would live our lives if we think in this way. And what Scripture is telling us is that we should think this way.

And even if Christ doesn't come back in two weeks or one week or one month or one year or ten years. Whatever it might be we could die and That's the end right there of our life here on earth. How important it is?

To live lives of holiness and godliness right now. Living it living every day like it is our last. The fact that Christ is returning and the fact that this universe is temporary is intended to be a spark plug.

In your walk with the Lord and as I already mentioned if you do not have a relationship with the Lord today believe in the Lord Jesus and.

You.