WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.840 2 Peter chapter 3. 00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:03.680 2 Peter Chapter 3. 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:07.759 We're making our way through this book, this letter of 2 Peter. 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:09.359 We're nearing the end. 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:13.519 And today we come to verses 10 through 12. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:39.280 The Bible says in Second Peter 3 10, But the day of the Lord will come, as a thief in the night, in the which the heaven shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up, seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved. 00:00:40.079 --> 00:01:06.239 What manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:27.200 Dear Lord, we feel the weight of this text and the apocalyptic preview of things to come that remind us about the brevity of life and the expanse of eternity. 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:30.719 God, I pray that we'd get our focus right. 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:42.239 I pray that we would not be so short-sighted, so nearsighted, so only focused on the right here, right now, this week, next week. 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:54.959 Father, I pray that you would help us to have that long view that we would see on the horizon eternity and realize that it goes on and on and on forever. 00:01:55.359 --> 00:02:09.759 And so, God, I pray and ask that you would help me to exposit these verses today in a way that motivates us and puts us in the right mindset to live a dedicated life because of this. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:11.759 I pray that in Jesus' name. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:12.560 Amen. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:19.120 Last week the Apostle Peter encouraged us to persevere to the end. 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:23.759 And as we know, Scripture is like a chain. 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:28.960 Every piece of it is connected to the link before it and the link after it. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:39.919 And so before we dig into these verses today, I just want to remind you about this idea of perseverance that he brought to us last week. 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:48.960 Perseverance means to persist in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and discouragements. 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:58.000 Perseverance is more than just not abandoning the faith, it is pressing forward through opposition. 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:08.000 It seems that some people get the idea that as long as they don't apostatize, apostatize, I believe is the right pronunciation, that they're doing enough. 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:23.360 In other words, as long as they get to the end of their life and they haven't outwardly, explicitly, vocally rejected their faith, that they somehow have fulfilled this mandate to persevere. 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:28.639 However, the Bible does not portray perseverance in this way. 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:36.080 Rather, it describes perseverance as advancing, not just sheltering in place. 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:47.599 I'm afraid that too often we as Christians just kind of hunker down, keep our heads down, and want to coast through to the end of our days. 00:03:47.840 --> 00:04:01.360 And the picture that is painted in Scripture of the Christian life is not one who retreats and retires, but is one that is advancing and persevering through the difficulties of life. 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:08.479 For example, look at Christ's message to the seven churches in Revelation chapter 2 and 3. 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:09.759 You don't need to turn there. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:12.400 I just want to point something out to you. 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:25.120 In those verses, Jesus addresses seven different churches located in Asia Minor, and he deals with issues that each one of them have. 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:28.639 They each had a different issue than the other. 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:34.639 But he made the same concluding statement to every single one of them. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:40.639 To the church at Ephesus, he concludes by saying, to him that overcomes. 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:46.560 And then to the church at Smyrna, he concludes by saying, He that overcomes. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:51.120 To the church at Pergamos, he says, to him that overcomes. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:05:04.160 The church at Thyatira says, He that overcomes, the church at Sardis, he that overcomes, to the church of Philadelphia, him that overcomes, to the church of Laodicea, him that overcomes. 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:15.120 From this we can derive that perseverance is faithfulness that continues to move forward over obstacles. 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:19.759 Is that not what Jesus is calling those churches to? 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:24.879 To persevere, to persist through difficulties all the way to the end. 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:30.399 And instead of using the word perseverance, he uses the word overcome, overcome, overcome. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:35.759 You and I need to understand that the Christian life is not going to be a downhill coast. 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:43.920 That when we get saved, it doesn't mean that God removes every obstacle and difficulty from our life and just opens up the way for us to roll on through. 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:49.600 No, he is guaranteeing that if you're going to follow Jesus, there's going to be some uphill climbs. 00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:51.759 There are going to be some obstacles. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:55.439 You and I need to be overcomers. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:58.720 We need to persevere. 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.879 We're also given an example of what that looks like. 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:09.279 You say, Well, you worked up about it, Pastor. 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:12.879 I'll try to calm down. 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:16.079 What does it look like to persevere? 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:18.879 What does it look like to overcome? 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:37.839 Well, in the last verse there, Revelation 3.21, that last word to that last church, Jesus said to him that overcomes, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and sat down with my Father in his throne. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:41.040 Jesus is our prime example of perseverance. 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:42.639 He's the prime example. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:49.680 If you want to know what perseverance looks like, if you want to know what overcoming looks like, look at the life of Jesus. 00:06:49.920 --> 00:07:00.800 Just think about how he persisted in his purpose through the opposition and over the obstacles in order to finish the work the Father gave him to do. 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:06.000 Was it an easy journey for Jesus to get to the cross? 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:06.639 No. 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:12.720 I mean, you look at it and it begins with temptations in the wilderness. 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:15.759 There's scoffers along the way. 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:24.240 There are hardships, there's rejection, there's sorrow, there's grief, there's betrayal, there's humiliation, there's persecution. 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:31.120 I'm telling you, Jesus faced difficulties in fulfilling the assignment that was given to him. 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:34.240 And he overcame, he persevered. 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:51.199 And so if you and I want a glimpse of what it's going to look like for us to overcome, to persevere, we need to look no further than Jesus because we are going to face obstacles and we are going to have to climb over those things in order to keep following Jesus. 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:57.360 We can also derive from the repetition of that statement to those seven churches. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:07:58.959 I mean the exact same thing. 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:01.279 Overcome, overcome, overcome. 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:07.600 That perseverance is required in every follower of Christ. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:09.279 Every follower. 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.240 I want to follow Jesus, you're going to have to overcome. 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:18.160 I want to follow Jesus. 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:22.240 Well, then you're going to have to trudge through the difficult times. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:24.000 Because they come. 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:25.759 And they come to good people. 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:31.680 And they come to honest people, and they come to sweet people, and they come to grace-giving people. 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:39.840 Hardships come, obstacles come, and you and I are to overcome. 00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:46.799 And so the question is how do we persevere through the difficulties to the end? 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:48.000 Here's what I know. 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:50.000 I did two funerals this week. 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:54.240 Here's what I know, guaranteed, difficulties come. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:59.840 Nobody makes it to the end of life without difficulties. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:04.639 And so, how are we going to persevere through the difficulties? 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:08.960 How are we going to overcome and make it to the end? 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:15.919 The answer that Peter gives to us in our text is that we must grow in our dedication. 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:27.360 And he indicates this when he says there in verse 11, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness? 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:35.279 In other words, he's saying you ought to live holy and godly lives every day if you want to persevere to the end. 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:54.000 If I want to make it through the hardships that will come, then I need to be a person who's dedicated every single day to Jesus on the easy days and on the hard days, on the ones that have no obstacles and the ones that are full of obstacles. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:57.519 But thankfully, Peter doesn't just tell us what to do. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:00.559 He first tells us how to achieve it. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:06.240 He doesn't just say, well, just suck it up, buttercup, and get out there and do it. 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:10.799 No, he actually tells us how we can do it. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:16.399 To grow in dedication, we must have the right motivation and the right mindset. 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:20.559 For example, let me speak to something that perhaps we can all relate to. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:22.639 A healthy diet. 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:26.240 We all know we're supposed to eat a healthy diet, right? 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:31.279 We've had that preached to us from childhood and everybody else we're supposed to do. 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:38.080 But it usually doesn't happen unless we have a change in our motivation and our mindset. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:51.279 Just like the person who goes to the doctor and gets the diagnosis that they have health issues because how they have been eating, and all of a sudden eating healthy, now they have a new motivation and they have a new mindset. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:56.480 They look at it differently, and they make the change and they dedicate themselves to that. 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:00.000 I would say dedication to Christ is similar in that sense. 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:02.559 You and I have to have the right motivation. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:04.080 We have to have the right mindset. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:09.919 We have to know how to see the field in order to achieve this. 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:12.159 And so Dr. 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:20.000 Peter gives us the spiritual diagnosis here in our text that will motivate us and change our mindset. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:25.360 Notice verse 10, the first thing he says is the day of the Lord. 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:28.080 The day of the Lord will come. 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:31.759 This is a key phrase in the Bible. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:37.919 The day of the Lord always is used in reference to the coming judgment of God. 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:53.840 And I don't have the time this morning, but I could take you to Old Testament passage after Old Testament passage and show you the consistency that when it says the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord, it is always talking about the coming judgment of God. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:12:07.440 As a matter of fact, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, the Bible talks about how that Jesus is coming back, right, with the sound of a trumpet, the archangel, and it concludes chapter 4, 1 Thessalonians 4, 18, with these words. 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:10.639 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:17.519 And so the second coming of Christ, the rapture of the church, that's a comforting coming of the Lord. 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:25.519 But may I point out to you that 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 1 through 3 goes on to say this. 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:53.919 And what the differentiation is, is that phrase, the day of the Lord. 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:57.360 The day of the Lord, I'm telling you, you can search it in Scripture. 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:02.399 It is always talking about the coming judgment of God. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:08.639 And so, based on this, we know that Peter is making a clear reference to the future judgment of God. 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:11.360 The day of the Lord's going to come like a thief in the night. 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:13.840 The heavens are going to melt with fire. 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:18.159 The earth is going to be dissolved with intense heat. 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:29.120 This is further reinforced by the use of the word fire there in 2 Peter 3.12, which is also a picture of God's judgment in Scripture. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:39.600 Remember the first time we see the picture of fire as a judgment in Scripture is in Genesis when God rains down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:44.480 We find fire falling from heaven in the wilderness and consuming people. 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:50.799 We find that hell, Jesus describes as a place of being a place of fire. 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:56.159 We read the end of the book, and it says they're cast into the lake of fire. 00:13:56.320 --> 00:14:04.399 And so I am telling you without a doubt, what Peter is pointing us to is the coming judgment of God. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:04.960 Why? 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:10.320 Because he is motivating us to live dedicated lives. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:17.519 And one of the greatest motivations that we can have is the reality that we'll stand before God. 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:23.759 And that God is the supreme judge. 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:28.879 Hebrews says it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:47.440 I'm afraid that we've inoculated God, that we have reduced him down to some toothless, effect, generous, soft old Santa Claus in the sky. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:49.919 That is not the picture of God. 00:14:50.559 --> 00:15:01.200 He is the epitome of love and grace and kindness and forgiveness, but he is a God of wrath against sin and unrighteousness. 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:05.440 And he is a God who will judge. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:10.480 There are two end time judgments spoken of in the Bible. 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:17.200 One is the great white throne judgment, and the other is the judgment seat of Christ. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:22.559 Both, by the way, are described as being with fire. 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:28.639 The great white throne judgment is described in Revelation chapter 20, verses 11 through 15. 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:52.559 It says that all will appear before God's great white throne, small and great, that God will open up the books, the record books, and that he will judge them by their works out of those books, and that whosoever's name is not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life, a separate book, is cast into the lake of fire. 00:15:53.039 --> 00:16:01.600 That, my friends, is the great white throne judgment, and that is the judgment of unbelievers. 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:09.600 All people throughout all history who refuse to believe in the one true God. 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:18.480 They are going to stand before Him on that day, and they are going to be found guilty. 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:25.200 That is the point of the books, that God has a record that we all have violated his law. 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:31.440 There'll not be one person who is able to object, to appeal, to say, no, I'm not guilty. 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:44.720 The books will be open, and he'll say, On this day you did this, and on this day you did this, and we will have to plead no contest because we are guilty of sin against God. 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:52.720 And everybody in that judgment gets cast into fire for all eternity. 00:16:52.960 --> 00:17:00.080 It is the most dreadful judgment in all of the Bible and in all of the world. 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:09.759 But remember, it was in that text that said, Whosoever's name was not written in the Lamb's book of life. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:15.119 You see, great white throne judgment, judgment, unbelievers. 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:21.039 But it's not the judgment for those who put their faith in Christ. 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:29.599 Those who have trusted Christ have their name written in the Lamb's book of life. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:41.759 In other words, those books that were opened or will be opened at the great white throne, when it comes to your name, if you're a believer in Christ, it's been expunged. 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:46.799 You know, the etymology of that word is so cool. 00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:53.359 Back in ancient times, olden times, pre-digital times. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:18:00.160 If you were indicted or charged with something, it was a handwritten record. 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:08.240 And if somehow that was overturned and you were proven to be innocent, they had no means by which to erase it. 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:11.839 And so they flooded it with ink. 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:22.640 They would take the quill and the ink well and they would blot it until you could no longer read what the indictment was. 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:25.920 You understand that's the Lamb's book of life. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:44.319 It is the blood of Jesus Christ that has expunged the record of our sins so that we are justified in him, not by our works, not by our goodness, but by his grace and by his death, we are saved from that judgment. 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:47.200 And by the way, that's what it means to be saved. 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:48.079 Right? 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:50.240 The question is, saved from what? 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:51.599 What do I need to be saved from? 00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:53.279 You say, well, I need to be saved from my sins. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:57.920 Yes, you do need to be saved from your sins, but you need to be saved from the penalty of your sins. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:02.079 If it's just saved from your sins, your sins are going to give you a miserable life, man. 00:19:02.160 --> 00:19:03.839 They're going to kill you. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:13.440 But you have to understand after you're dead that there is a punishment for your sins, and the punishment is executed by God Almighty. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:20.799 And if you want to know the motivation for getting saved, it is that you want to avoid the eternal damnation of God. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:31.359 That is what we are preaching the gospel for. 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:39.440 It is not to make your life so much better here on this earth, it is to save you from the wrath of Almighty God. 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:43.680 That's why the wrath had to be poured out on Jesus on the cross. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:51.519 He had to be the substitute in order to offer us forgiveness and salvation. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:20:08.240 And so the good news is that if you've put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, your sins have been expunged, and your name has been written in the Lamb's Book of Life, and you don't stand at the great white throne judgment, but there is a judgment for us. 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:11.759 And it's called the judgment seat of Christ. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:23.279 It's mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 10, and Romans 12, 10, and it's described in 1 Corinthians 3, verses 10 through 15. 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:26.799 The description is what I want to relay to you. 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:31.599 The description tells us that it has to be on the foundation of Christ. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:40.480 That if you don't have this foundation, like the wise man and the foolish man, when the judgment, the storm of God's judgment comes, your house collapses. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:43.519 And so the foundation is Jesus Christ. 00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:46.960 Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:50.079 And then he goes on to say, but take heed how you build on that foundation. 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:51.359 So he's talking to believers. 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:53.200 You've got the foundation of Jesus Christ. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:57.200 But what you do with your life after you get saved is like your building. 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:05.519 And he says, Well, if you build with wood, hay, and stubble, or you can build with gold, silver, and precious jewels. 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:09.359 And so there's different building materials that you can invest your life in. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:15.680 He says, here's the issue: your building is going to be tried by fire one day. 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:17.039 Uh-oh. 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:21.839 If you build with wood, hay, and stubble, it's a consumable. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:23.839 It's burnt to ashes. 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:28.960 But what does fire do to the silver and the gold and the precious jewels? 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:30.400 Nothing. 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:33.039 If anything, it refines it. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:41.680 And so he says, even the one who gets all of their works burnt up at this judgment is still saved. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:44.400 That's what it says in 1 Corinthians 3 15. 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:49.680 And so it's not a punitive judgment whereby you could lose your salvation. 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:59.119 But it is a judgment nonetheless where God is reviewing you and my stewardship of this life that He's given to us. 00:21:59.359 --> 00:22:09.680 And He's He says, if you've invested it all just in the temporal things of this earth, you're going to stand there in a pile of ashes on that day. 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:25.599 But if you choose to invest it into eternal things, then that will stand the test of time and it will, it will emerge from the judgment. 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:33.440 And so the realization that we are all going to stand before God should motivate us to live a dedicated life. 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:35.200 Dedicated life. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:44.640 I mean, when I start to think about the fact that God's going to review my life since the day that I got saved, and I'm going to give an account of that. 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:57.839 Give an account of what I invested my life in, what I spent my energy on, what I did with my money, what I did with my time, what I did with my resources, what I did with my own efforts. 00:22:58.079 --> 00:23:00.400 It's all coming into review. 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:06.559 But there's another aspect to the day of the Lord, and that is eternity. 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:15.759 Eternity is what follows our life here on this earth, and there are only two eternal destinations, heaven or hell. 00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:21.519 What determines your eternal destination is your decision to accept or reject Jesus Christ. 00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:31.039 Those who accept Jesus or saved from their sins go to spend eternity in heaven, but those who reject Christ will die in their sins, spend eternity in hell. 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:45.920 And so if we're going to live, if we will live with eternity in view, then it will motivate us to live our life in dedication to the Lord, which brings us to the second aspect of this text. 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:48.720 It's the disintegration of the world. 00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:51.680 Verse 10 is the day of the Lord. 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:53.279 Day of the Lord's coming. 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:55.359 Judgment is coming. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:24:04.160 And then verse 11, seeing that all these things are going to be dissolved, what manner of person ought you to be? 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:05.920 The disintegration of the world. 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:14.000 Peter says that this world is just temporary, and that one day it will be dissolved by the fiery judgment of God. 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:26.240 And so it begs the question: why would I invest all of my time, energy, and efforts into something that will be dissolved, something that is not going to last, something that is purely temporary? 00:24:26.720 --> 00:24:35.759 Did you know that most major religions of the world believe in an apocalypse? 00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:40.160 A cataclysmic end to civilization. 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:41.359 Did you realize that? 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:43.279 We've all seen the movies, haven't we? 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:44.319 Apocalypse. 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:46.079 Post-apocalypse, right? 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:48.640 Well, I found this interesting. 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:51.759 Even non-religions believe in an apocalypse. 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:54.799 What's the message of environmentalism? 00:24:55.519 --> 00:25:05.200 If we don't make a drastic change and protect the environment, it will lead to the world being uninhabitable. 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:07.920 That's apocalypse. 00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:14.960 I'm telling you, almost everybody in the world believes that there's an apocalypse that comes someday. 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:17.200 Even if you don't believe that. 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:20.880 Even you say, I don't believe, I think things just go on as if I'm always one of them. 00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:22.799 I've heard this since I was a kid preacher. 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:23.920 It ain't happened. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:25.680 I just believe it's all going to go on. 00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:31.359 Well, surely, surely you can acknowledge that you're temporary. 00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:37.440 You might think this world is permanent and never going to end, but you're not. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:39.759 You're temporary. 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:43.519 Your life has an expiration date on it. 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:45.599 Nobody lives forever. 00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:57.759 So once again, I ask, why would you invest everything into something that is temporary if there is a chance of the eternal? 00:25:58.079 --> 00:26:04.000 If there's a chance that there's some eternal life, why wouldn't I live for that one? 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:06.960 Why wouldn't I invest in eternity? 00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:18.480 Therefore, I say to you that if we're going to grow in dedication to the Lord, then we must come to see the value of the eternal over the value of the temporal. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:20.240 That's what it comes down to. 00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:32.240 If we're going to grow in dedication, and Peter wants us to grow in dedication, really what he's trying to do is he's saying, I want you to see the eternal, and I want that to become more important to you than the temporal. 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:35.039 I want you to understand this is all going to pass away. 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:36.720 This is all going to be dissolved. 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:38.720 You're going to leave all this behind. 00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:40.960 That is eternity. 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:48.960 And I want you to put more value on eternity than you do on the things of this earth. 00:26:49.680 --> 00:27:03.039 Practically speaking, I would ask you, are you spending all of your money and your resources on things of this earth? 00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:06.240 Or are you investing some of it in heaven? 00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:12.400 Do you remember in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus is preaching his Sermon on the Mount? 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:24.240 And he says in Matthew chapter 6, lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, where thieves break through and steal. 00:27:24.480 --> 00:27:37.039 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust does not corrupt, where thieves do not break through and steal, because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:44.319 Now, Jesus is giving us the exact same motivation that Peter is. 00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:50.000 Place more value on the eternal than you place on the temporal. 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:55.519 He actually goes on to say, because our apprehension is to say, but I need these things to live. 00:27:55.839 --> 00:28:00.400 I mean, I've got to take care of my family, I've got to eat, I've got to have a place to live, all that stuff. 00:28:00.559 --> 00:28:07.519 And Jesus goes on to address that there in Matthew 6, and he says, take no thought for the things of this world. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:11.279 For after all these things do the unsaved Gentiles seek. 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:15.599 For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. 00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:16.880 You don't have to worry about that. 00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:17.759 God knows. 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:18.960 He created you. 00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:20.160 He knows you need food. 00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:21.279 He knows you need water. 00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:22.559 He knows you need shelter. 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:24.640 He knows you need all of these things. 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:28.559 Do you really think that your heavenly father is oblivious to that? 00:28:28.799 --> 00:28:30.319 No, he knows. 00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:42.480 And that's why Jesus goes on to say these famous words, but seek ye the kingdom of God and his righteousness. 00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:44.799 And all these things. 00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:46.240 What things? 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:47.519 The things of the world. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:53.519 Food, clothes, lodging, these things will be added to you. 00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:57.039 I just want to ask you today, church, what are you living for? 00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:00.480 What are you living for? 00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:03.200 Are you living for the here and now? 00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:05.359 Or are you living for eternity? 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:10.960 What are you dedicated to? 00:29:11.119 --> 00:29:13.359 We're all dedicated to something, aren't we? 00:29:14.400 --> 00:29:16.319 What are we dedicated to? 00:29:16.799 --> 00:29:24.400 If we're going to grow in our dedication, then the things of this world are going to have to mean less to us. 00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:29.279 And the things of eternity are going to have to mean more. 00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:31.119 Let's pray. 00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:38.240 Dear Heavenly Father, we are so thankful that we are given this glimpse of eternity. 00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:52.000 We understand that there is somewhat of a veil between earth and heaven, that we cannot see beyond it, and therefore you have revealed it to us in your word. 00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:59.440 Father, I pray that just because we cannot see it with our physical eyes, that we would not discount it. 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:06.799 I pray that we would not fall into this common trap of thinking that this life is more important than the next. 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:11.359 Oh God, you dedicated yourself to us. 00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:15.599 When Christ came, he dedicated himself to us. 00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:17.680 That's what took him to the cross. 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:21.599 May we dedicate ourselves to him. 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:24.400 May we live our lives for him. 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:30.000 May we use our lives for eternal things. 00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:35.279 When I think about the eternal, I'm reminded that your word's eternal. 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:37.920 Prayer is eternal. 00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:40.640 Worship is eternal. 00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:44.160 Souls are eternal. 00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:52.960 May we dedicate ourselves to eternal things more than we dedicate ourselves to temporal things. 00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:59.519 Oh God, may through our dedication to you, may we persevere to the end. 00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:02.160 May we overcome the obstacles. 00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:14.000 May those things that Satan tries to put in our way or take out of our life, may they not mean so much to us because we're focused on eternity. 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:16.799 And that will help us persevere. 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:19.279 God, I pray this in Jesus' name. 00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:19.920 Amen.