The Kind of People God Wants Us to Be

When I first traveled through London…you found all these warning signs to “mind the gap” at the train stations.

Yes people may know that there is a platform, and a moving train, but if they don’t practically consider the gap with the right response when the train arrives there could be some disastrous consequences.

Similarly, the gap between what we know about God and his word and what we do in response to God really matters.

Dealing with this gap between our beliefs and our behavior is the subject of the message this morning. I invite you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Peter 3:10. That is on page _______ of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you.

This morning we are finishing our series in 2 Peter. Peter addresses concerns that are just as relevant today as they were in the 1st century.

• People still object to the Bible the true and authoritative Word of God,

• People still question whether God will judge every person,

• People still doubt that Jesus is returning a second time.

They have reasons why each of these truths, in their opinion, is difficult to believe.

However, God gave reasons for believers to have courage and confidence that our beliefs are correct.

Peter not only tells how to be prepared to address and avoid false teaching, he tells us how to live rightly and experience growth in our faith.

This is one reason the Bible is beautiful and precious. It provides solutions and is not just critical talking about the problems.

- If it is true that God’s word is true and authoritative and we have everything we need for life and godliness, and that we should experience spiritual growth then, would you agree with me that there is often a gap between what we say we believe and how consistently we apply those beliefs in our daily lives?

I know that is true for me.

It is so much easier to say that, yes I know one of my main jobs as a husband is to love my wife like Christ loves the church, than it is to do those words –consistently and with joy.

I know parents are expected to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. But there is a gap in my life of putting into practice 24/7/365 over years.

I know I must love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And as we are celebrating communion this morning.

We are reminded of the evidence and fact we all fall short which is why we need to trust in Christ to save us from our sin.

o Yet, it is easier to say those words than to live them out practically.

- If you do not own a Bible, then write your name in that one and take it home.

The title of this message is The Kind of People God Wants us to be. It is part of the series entitled Growing in Grace. We are going to see this morning 3 responses to man’s eternal destiny.

Please follow along as I read beginning in v. 10. This is the Word of the Lord.

I. Be Sober because of God’s Final Judgment

Knowledge of certain facts should produce a certain appropriate response.

• - Like when I learned the facts about our basement being flooded there was an appropriate soberminded response to make sure there were no electrical hazards nearby and immediately to vacuum up the water and dry the basement as soon as possible otherwise there can be greater harm and damage.

• - Or like when you hear a tornado warning the soberminded response is to seek the appropriate shelter.

God reminded us of last week that those who are mockers, those who follow their own lusts, and question the fact of Jesus’s return are not soberminded…instead certain facts from God’s word escape their notice, they willfully choose to ignore them…

2 Peter 3:3–5 – Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice”

So, the mockers of Jesus choose to ignore certain facts about God’s Word so that they can live for their lusts and do not respond appropriately to Jesus’s return.

But if you are a believer, you are be soberminded…not letting certain truths and facts about God escape your notice because they impact how you respond right here and now, that’s why Peter encouraged the believers about God’s patient character and the imminent return of Jesus and sure promise of judgment…

2 Peter 3:8 – “But do not let this one fact escape your notice”

So, what are the facts about the day of the Lord that should produce the proper response of being sober-minded.

2 Peter 3:10 – “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

Look at where Peter then goes in verse 17 as our response…

2 Peter 3:17 – “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness”

If we are sober-minded about God’s final judgment we are clearheaded about…

Its timing

“In Scripture the day of the Lord signifies the extraordinary, miraculous interventions of God in human history for the purpose of judgment, culminating in His final judgment of the wicked-on earth and the destruction of the present universe.”^[1]

This reference to the day of the Lord is a time of judgment like no other when God destroys his enemies, shows his glory in keeping his word, and consummating his kingdom on earth. Revelation describes the day of the Lord in two stages with the great tribulation and after the millennium, then God will establish a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1–2).

This term is used sometimes in the Old Testament to refer to near or close term judgments that God is making to bring calamity and destruction like when God judges the nation of Babylon (Isaiah 13). But also some uses of the word are referring to the final judgment time period by God for all nations and people of the earth, which is the sense in this passage.

Notice how God wants us to understand the timing seems unexpected and without warning to those are not soberminded and prepared.

2 Peter 3:10 – “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief”

Just as Jesus warned his disciples regarding the proper soberminded response for his disciples…

Matthew 24:42–43 – “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.”

It's also what Jesus emphasizes when the day of the Lord is coming in Revelation…

Revelation 16:15 – (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”)

The apostle Paul warns the believers in Thessalonica in the same way…

1 Thessalonians 5:2 – “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night”

Peter goes on to describe…

B. Its intensity

What look like the most stable…basic and foundational components of the universe…God says they will pass away…with a roar like a loud rushing sound that comes when a fire consumes an object. Who has the power to change the elements on the periodic table and make a new one? Only God.

2 Peter 3:10 – “in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat”

2 Peter 3:12 – “the elements will melt with intense heat!”

Imagine the intense heat and destruction of the created world like those unprepared for the eruption of Mount Vesuvius…

Or the intense heat from creations like the bombs that can melt buildings.

None of these can be compared to the intensity of the judgment from the Creator of the universe on the Day of the Lord. Don’t let its result escape your notice.

C. Its result

2 Peter 3:10 – “and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

2 Peter 3:12 – “because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning”

The end result is not changing. There will be no opportunity for change on the day of final judgment. If you are considering the end, it changes your response for where you place your hope for your everyday life right now.

Is your confidence and foundation for your life something that is perishable or imperishable? Something that will pass away or something that will not fade?

1 Peter 1:3–5 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

1 Peter 1:18–19 – “conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

1 Peter 1:23–25 – “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For,

“All flesh is like grass,
And all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
And the flower falls off,
²⁵ But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Application:

I am thankful for our church family, who is seeking to live soberly considering judgment day. We are not giving to the Free to Dream campaign to build a Christian school thinking that those cinderblocks are going to remain in the end…but so that we can reach more children and students in our community that they may be born again with the enduring Word of God, that they may put their hope in the imperishable work of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us on the cross for our evil, taking the just judgment we deserve for our sins in our place, and he rose from the dead imperishable, so that we can be purchased forever by his precious blood to have eternal life by his power. Then to participate in what Christ is doing to build his church in our community and equip disciples for the next generation…

• - Restoration pruning trees, but to be pruning the hearts of men, to bear eternal fruit…

• - Trunk or Treat something that will satisfy that is sweeter than honey…

• - Christmas for Everyone…the gift of the gospel eternal life through Christ Jesus Our Lord.

• - One way to grow in being soberminded about the final judgment. Between now and the end of the year read is through the book of Revelation, because you will be blessed if you read and hear the words about the things written about the end times. Pay particular attention for the commands for how people ought to respond and be prepared and the result when they do compared to when they do not.

• - Another is to meditate on the doctrine of hell, that hell is a place of eternal conscience just torment. It is experienced by the whole person, body and soul…it is painful… it is eternal…it is for those who will not repent, who do not return in faith to God because they recognize that they are evil and deserve judgment so they do not depend on God and his mercy in Jesus Christ.

So, God wants us to be the kind of people who are growing at responding in a sober way in the light of judgment day, then Peter goes on to say this should affect not only our mindset to be sober, but our conduct and character…

II. Be Looking for Ways to Make Your Eschatology Practical

We want to grow in shrinking the “gap.” The end times impacts how we respond to everyday life today. We want to be doers of the word, not just hearers who then respond by ignoring the truth of God’s word.

2 Peter 3:11 – “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness”

Holy conduct

Students, holy conduct is shown through honoring authorities, thankfulness, and communicating the truth in love to resolve concerns, rather than complaining, disobeying, and gossiping about your teachers.

In your marriage are you demonstrating intentional effort to love and serve your spouse through deeds and in truth, putting their interests before your own. Holy conduct seeks to listen to the concerns of my spouse and think how I might serve them like Christ. It’s like what Peter said in his first letter…

In my work place, holy conduct is working hard and stealing time from my employer and being proactive to serve customers, vendors, fellow co-workers joyfully because I am working for God and not men.

1 Peter 1:13–16 – Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

I am thankful for the many in our church family who are seeking to show conduct that is holy. [Faith groups…hospitality hosting is holy conduct. Mentors and counselors and teachers…discipling others is holy conduct…serving others through stacking chairs or passing out communion or serving bulletins...holy conduct…greeting one another in the Lord…holy conduct…

I hope we do not take the work of God for granted in the life of his people to make them holy in their conduct. Communion is holy conduct…

Godliness

Each of us can grow in godliness…having the appropriate beliefs and living out what you believe toward God and others…

2 Peter 1:3 – seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness

Some resources that can be helpful for you to grow in godliness is reading and applying the Spiritual disciples of the Christian life by Donald Whitney…at our resource center…or the Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges.

C. Balanced outlook

Like little children who long for and expectantly wish that Christmas Day will come sooner because of the joy of that day, Christians in eager anticipation long for Jesus’s return and our eternal state for the new heavens and new earth…which is why we say “Come, Lord Jesus!”

2 Peter 3:12–13 – “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

In Titus in chapter 2 the similar encouragement…

Titus 2:13 – “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”

The kindness of God, is teaching us how to live upright and godly lives by looking forward to the return of Christ and the new creation that Christ establishes.

There is also a soberness to this outlook though, that’s what I mean by balanced, because we understand the implications of what must happen before the new creation will be bitter judgment for the unrepentant who have tried the Lord’s patience and are not willing to turn to God and trust him.

2 Thessalonians 1:6–9 – “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.”

In contrast to this present creation that is tainted in every way by the effects of sin and suffering. In this creation our outlook realizes how sin and evil is so settled into every aspect of our existence it seems like sin and evil seems to have a permanent comfortable position in the world, but God’s word encourages to have an outlook of faith. Trust with certainty that Christ will make sure in the new creation that righteousness is what permanently takes up residence. To meditate on the doctrine of heaven you might consider Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven as a helpful resource to grow in this area.

D. Diligent preparation

2 Peter 3:14 – “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless”

Christians are to be found in a state and condition of peace, spotless and blameless at the return of Christ. But it takes effort…

Peter reminded us earlier in chapter 1 verse 3:

“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith”

Then again in verse 10 of chapter 1: “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you”

And how Peter in verse 15 was “diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.”

Now he says…

Be diligent to be found by him in peace.

Do you have a settled and confident state of mind in the promises of God, his Word, and your relationship with Jesus?

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”

Not only this peace, but also in every circumstance and situation, you can through prayer approach God and experience God’s peace that surpasses understanding.

If you are unsettled, not at peace…I would encourage you to evaluate to what degree you are listening to the promises of God in his Word and reminding yourself of how Christ makes peace with him possible through faith by his death and resurrection for your forgiveness of sin and rescue from the just anger of God.

E. Humble appreciation

2 Peter 3:15–16 – “and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

The certain judgment of the Lord should lead Christians to humble thankfulness and bold witness sharing the gospel as another day is provided for us to tell others about the Lord’s desire and command for them to repent and be saved from eternal judgment.

As verse 9 made a similar point:

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

God choosing to be patient should lead us to be diligent in our evangelism and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, because that means that God has a purpose for today for us to share the good news because he is wanting some more people to be saved today because the good news about Jesus is the power of God for salvation for all who believe.

Application – Am I being godly in my conduct by sharing the gospel and God’s word with those who are not saved around me? Or am I not be holy? Christ set me apart to be holy like him and share his words and do his works toward others. We have opportunities to do this together as a church family.

• - Trunk or Treat Evangelism

• - Taste of Christmas Evangelism

• - Living Nativity Evangelism

Lastly, God encourages us to respond to man’s eternal destiny and…

III. Be Committed to a Consistent Pattern of Growing

Peter finishes where he started the book, an encouragement to keep focusing on growing.

2 Peter 3:18 – but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

A. A focus on growing

We have everything we need to know God and live in a way that pleases him.

There will be false teachers and mockers who doubt the truth and authority of the Bible, who will try to convince people there is no coming judgment and think that Jesus is not coming back.

We can be on guard and instead grow. We are certain God’s word is true, certain judgment is coming, and certain Jesus is coming back like a thief, and when that comes, devastation occurs, but salvation for those who trust in Christ.

So our goal is growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God told us back in chapter 1:

2 Peter 1:5-8 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Everyday you can grow and learn more about your Savior’s grace. His kindness toward you and patience toward you can experience each day in fresh ways as you fight your sin, encounter suffering, and every opportunity provides you to lean learn how much more you need to depend on his kindness, and the privilege we have to then share that kindness we experience in Christ with others.

We also need to grow in the knowledge of Christ so that we can guard ourselves against false teaching. Things like Christ’s words such as his promises and works like death, resurrection, judgment etc.

We also need to grow in knowing the mind of Christ by the Holy Spirit…how he thinks, wills, desires, to that I can please him with wisdom in the decisions I make.

Furthermore, we need to grow in the knowledge of Christ in the sense of knowing experientially (practically) in my life his goodness.

B. A longing for His glory

All of the growth, the fruit bearing, and change to be more like Christ points us back to the one who deserves all praise and glory…like the Psalmist in 115…not to us, not us but to your name be the glory.

Our glorious God and Savior started this work and he will finish it…apart from him we can do nothing, but abiding in him, we bear much fruit. He saved us and empowers us for good works in faith for his glory that he has prepared in advance for us to do.

We long for the day that we are presented and prepared by the mighty working of our Savior, to be a spotless, unblemished people without fault, stain, or sin and to dwell with him in righteousness in a new creation of never-ending love and joy.

But as we wait…we respond soberly, lives holy lives practically, and are committed to be diligent to keep growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.

^[1] John F. MacArthur Jr., 2 Peter and Jude, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2005), 123.