*this is not a word for word transcript, but the sermon manuscript

TO YOU FROM GOD

PART ONE: SUPPLY, TO YOU FROM GOD

Christmas is all about presents. Okay, maybe it is about the present. The present is from God to you and me, His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to set us all free from the oppression of sin, so we could have eternal life.

The reason we give gifts at Christmas is in remembrance of this one gift. In a similar way the elements in the Lord’s Supper remind us of the sacrifice, the exchange of presents is a call to remember the one gift. And though God has already given us the greatest gift of all, through Jesus He is still outgiving us.

Through this Advent season, we are unwrapping these gifts from God to us found in the Bible. The question for this morning’s message is, what gift from God to us is found in 2 Peter 3:8-15?

2 Peter 3:8-15:

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping this promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with this promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. (NIV)

This is the Word of God, for the people of God, thanks be to God.

Before we can unwrap the gift from God to us in this passage, it is important to remember that the mind of the early Church Christian was a little different from our minds today. We based our faith on “knowing where we will go when we die.” The early Church expected Jesus to return in their lifetimes, so they lived with a sense of urgency. As each year passed, however, it created openings for scoffers to cast doubt on Jesus’ promise to return. It is in response to such scoffers that Peter is addressing believers.

VERSES 8-9 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Peter begins verse stress the importance of the information he is about to share. “Do not forget.” This tells the Christians who would hear this letter read that they need to be paying attention. 

Peter is referencing Psalm 90:4, which reads, “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that just gone by, or like a watch in the night.” The idea is that God is eternal, existing outside of time as we know it. God is not bond to calendars or clocks as we are. You and I are always racing against the clock, getting upset when our meals do not come fast enough, or FED EX delivers our new running shoes later than when their tracker stated.

God’s delay in the return of Christ is an eternal God’s response to a world bond to time. As time goes forward for us, so does the devasting impact of sin in this world. The second coming of Jesus will mark the end for sin, making it a moment that we as Christians should eagerly await. But Peter writes that God has not allowed this to take place because He wants everyone to come to repentance. Sin was judged with Jesus’ first coming, at the second coming it will forever be destroyed. Repentance is when a sinner recognizes this truth, then turns away from sin to God, saved from the final destruction. Therefore, God delays, because His will is for everyone to be saved.

VERSES 10-13 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. The second coming is going to happen. Jesus told this to his disciples. As He was ascending into the heavens, the messengers from God reminded them. And here, as time continued to progress and the moment had not yet arrived, Peter reminds the church to not lose the expectation and urgency of this event.

In verse 10, Peter describes some frightening events as sin, evil, and its cohorts are destroyed forever. Since this is an event that is going to happen, Peter asks in verse 11, “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought we to be?” All the destruction mentioned in verse 10 is for sin and evil, but Jesus came so that we could be saved from this moment through faith in Him. A person saved from this day should be found living “holy and godly lives.”

What does it mean to live a “holy and godly” life? Sin is the way of the world and those in the world. It is a way ruled by death, requiring a survival of the fittest mentality. This is commonness. The word holy means, “to be set apart.” A holy life is one separated from sin and the ways of sin. A heart washed in the blood so thoroughly that it is forgiven and freed from sin, and a mind transformed by discovering the ways of holiness. And when Jesus returns, this is how those who follow Him should be found.

For those living the as we ought, the day coming is one of hope. Because all the pain, suffering, death, and impact of sin will come to an end. True followers of Jesus look for and want this day to come. “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb” is not the cries of those clinging to the hope found in Jesus. They have no reason to fear on this day.

VERSES 14-15 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. God’s desire is not for anyone to be lost to destruction, but for every single person to find salvation in Jesus. Peter writes that Christians need to “make it their business” to be found holy when Jesus returns.

Living out holiness is turning away from sin to the ways of God. What are the ways of God? Loving God and loving others. God’s desire is that everyone us be saved. If you love God, then you will accept His gift of salvation. If you love others, then you will share the hope of salvation with them, and this is demonstrating your love for God because this is what He desires.

What is the gift of God found in this passage? Patience. God’s gift to you and me is patience. I know, the p-word. The thing that you are told never to pray for. And that is not what the gift in this passage is anyway. Patience is not given to you for you to use, but God’s patience with you.

Matthew Henry wrote, “Repentance is absolutely necessary in order to [accept] salvation.” You cannot be saved from the final destruction Peter mentions if you refuse to repent. God is delaying the return of Jesus so you have time to take this necessary step. His desire is for you to be saved, and God patiently waits for you to want to be saved.

God’s patience with you does not end once you accept the gift of salvation. He is patient as you wrestle with new life and a heart that desires sin. When you surrender that heart, God gives you His Spirit to be able to be found living sinless on the day He returns.

As you struggle with the consequences of your past, the ripple effects from the brokenness of others, and evils attempts to destroy anything good God is patient with you. God is patient so by your life you can share hope with everyone you love so they can be saved too.

God’s gift is patience not for you, but with you.