We continue on tonight in our consideration of 2 Peter verses 10 through 16. The verses 10 through 16 actually. 10 through 16 will be our text as we pick up our second installment of this matter of the day of the Lord and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember last week I started out by reminding you of that familiar phrase that goes back to the ancient church. that Jesus is risen, he is risen indeed, and that also there is a second truth as sure as the resurrection, that Jesus is coming and that he is coming indeed. We looked at a number of aspects of that coming, that it will be sudden, filled with glory, that he will come on the clouds from glory to judge the living and the dead, that he shall reign forever and ever. And we confessed that God has appointed a day, a great day, when these things shall happen. The other thing we noted last week is that this is how the Apostle Peter is finishing out his ministry. These are his last words. Remember that just a few verses earlier. that the apostle in chapter 1 verse 15 said these words moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease he is writing here his last words to the church in the last words to the church in the last chapter he spends almost the whole chapter reminding us to be watchful, to be ready to resist the scoffers who say that Christ will not come back by again and again repeatedly pressing upon us the truth of the doctrine of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But as we looked at that in some more general terms, today we're going to pick up the text beginning at verse 10 and on through verse 16. And see now some more of the particulars of what that day will bring, particularly here from this text. We talked about last week the resurrection, the general resurrection, and these matters. But the Apostle Peter here focuses on the end of all things with some powerful cataclysmic language, language which he uses to describe the closing of history as we know it. We don't know when this will be. But we know that it shall be, and it shall be because the word of God clearly teaches us this. But also from this text we're going to learn that this close is going to be unlike anything ever seen in human history. Perhaps the only other outpouring of holy divine power like this since the creation really is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. At the end of, even what we're going to see here in a moment, we've read of judgments, and we've been reading in Genesis, and we're gonna read some more of the flood and Sodom and Gomorrah. But even these, the language which describes those mighty judgments of God, this language here speaks of a far greater reaching, cataclysmic event that reaches to the very extents of the universe as God deals with sin. in the world he has made. There's a cataclysmic purification of the universe that as far as the curse is found to the very extents of the heavens and the earth and the works that are in intensively from the smallest all the way to the greatest extensively everywhere and everything that God has made will be affected. Nothing will escape the events that are described here and no one. All sin and all the effects of sin, and God's curse on creation on account of sin, it will be eradicated and the curse will be lifted. Men, creatures, the whole universe, nothing that has, no one that has ever lived, and nothing that has made and exists today will be outside of the scope of the things described in the verses that we read here. And that means all of you. Children, It doesn't matter from the youngest here to the oldest of us here. No one, not one of us, will not experience and see these things which God writes of to us in his word. Yes, God is slow to anger. We looked last week particularly at God being slow to anger. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, that he's a God of forbearance. But we ought not to fool ourselves. He will, and Peter's going to come to this point here in particular, he will execute his holy judgments. History will come to an end. And in our text today, we're going to see that we shouldn't only think about these things, pray about these things, long for these things, but that as we do all of those things, that it should change the way we live tomorrow, and the next day and the next while we are waiting, while we are waiting. Now this truth tonight can leave your heart unchanged and unmoved. If you're not interested, that's a sobering, sobering sign. Even more, if you can walk away from here tonight and be unchanged by the rehearsal of these things, you ought to seriously consider your spiritual state. Because not only are we going to describe what will happen, but Peter's going to make it an ironclad connection in the life of the Christian, that it will change the way you live. It must, if you receive this truth. We've got two very simple things. We're going to look at the end of all things in verse 10. And then the response of the Christian, five different responses in verses 11 through 16. Very simple outline, the end of all things described in verse 10, and then the response of the Christian to the end of all things, or at least the meditation of these things. Well, verse 10 begins with that phrase which is so familiar to many of us, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Of course, there Peter is echoing the words of the Lord Jesus as he taught on the same matter. We've also seen Now that the day of the Lord will come, and also we've read rather, that the heavens will pass away with a great noise, the elements will melt with fervent heat, both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up, that there is going to be a cataclysmic final dealing of God with sin and its effects in the universe. We've also seen early in the chapter the general attitude of many people towards this very simple and straightforward biblical truth is the question, where is the promise of his coming? false teachers throughout the ages have made it easy, have called men either to ignore this truth or other false teachers, and I think of what happened just in the last six months or so, I can't remember exactly what it was, but there was this family radio, Harold Camping, I don't know if you've heard of him, who tried to predict the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and failed, and the great travesty and tragedy of this sort of thing is that It increases for many the hardness of their hearts concerning the reality of these things. You notice that the world was transfixed for a moment. What if he's right? Because they're men and women and boys and girls created in the image of God, they have some sense of the living God and they are afraid of the judgment. And if it might be coming, they do take notice. But when false teachers make false predictions, it's easy for men to blaspheme. But all of this, and that interest even for a moment, shows something about the human heart. I said a moment ago that we have a sense that one day we shall have to meet God. That man has eternity in his heart, that we know that this life and this world that we see, it's not all there is. You can see it in books that are written, in movies that are made. The whole apocalyptic genre is dealing with that sense in humanity that history is traveling towards some sort of final point, some sort of end. However incorrect and twisted, the general sense and the conscience of having to meet with God is real and true. It's often also true that the loudest scoffers are the most afraid of this day. I can think of, I think Pat Daly and I were, Pat had pointed me to the end of the documentary called Collision. I don't know if you've heard of it. It's where Douglas Wilson and Christopher Hitchens debate Christian theology. At the very end, there's a clip, just at the close of the documentary, where Hitchens recounts a conversation that he had with Richard Dawkins. Now, you know, Dawkins and Hitchens, to set the stage here, are two of the most Well, Christopher Hitchens passed away, but two of the most notable popular atheists having written books defending atheism. And Hitchens was recounting a conversation that he had with Dawkins and it went like this. Dawkins asked him, if there was only one person left in the world that I could convince, that you could convince, left to convince, that Christianity was foolish and that there is no God, would you do it? And Hitchens said to Dawkins, I couldn't do it. There is something in my heart that I could not, I would not want that to be extinguished from the human experience. I don't know why it is. I can't explain it." And Dawkins was disappointed in him and even upset with him. But Hitchens knew in his heart and his conscience that there was something wrong. He had grown up hearing Under the Sound of the Gospel. But there is that sense, even in those who are the loudest of scoffers, that there is some fear that there is a God yet, and that his truth may be true. Well, the apostle has affirmed this certainty already. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. There will be this final reckoning. And when he uses the phrase thief in the night, there's a certain sense of foreboding there, of danger, and that danger is explained now in the rest of verse 10. in the great events here of the day of the Lord. Last week, we looked generally at the suddenness, the bodily return, the general resurrection, the last judgment, the eternal reign of Christ. But here now, some of the events that accompany this close of history. What are they? Well, what is described here is a great purification of the universe by means of fire. It was already intimated in verse 7, the heavens and the earth. which are now preserved by the same word, the word of God, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. Now the apostle picks up on that in verse 10. The heavens will pass away with a great noise. The elements melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Now this raises a question first. One of the theological questions before we get into the actual what is happening here, two questions. The question is, is the Apostle Peter describing here the complete destruction of the created universe, or is he describing the purification of the created universe? In other words, is God going to purify this syncytic world and universe, or is he going to destroy it altogether? And some would say the language here is that the elements will melt, The earth and the works in it will be burned up or consumed completely. Others argue for this to be the language of renewal and purification. Renewal and purification. And if you go to Romans chapter 8, there is an indication, I think, in the Apostle Paul that the creation Verse 19, the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope. Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. That there seems to be, a sense where the creation is longing for its release from bondage, bondage to the curse under sin and that the language here then of purification of fire is the language of purification not complete annihilation. There's also arguments to be made for this from the continuity of the resurrected body of the Lord Jesus Christ and also from those who are still living at the day of resurrection who will be changed in a moment to the resurrection bodies. So I think the weight of scripture falls on the renewal by fire. It also is what God does in salvation. He takes sin sick sinners who are infected and polluted with sin and by his mighty power he eradicates sin and its effects and brings renewal. But again, whether you would argue for a complete restruction and rebuild or renewal with the original pattern in mind, it's clear that there is a description here of a massive, holy judgment of God executed throughout the created universe unlike anything ever seen. The means of that judgment is fire. You look at the language again of the text here. It is that they will be burned up. Again, in verse 7, they are reserved for fire until the judgment. Again, in verse 12, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. What is happening here? Well, you remember that God himself is identified throughout the scriptures with fire. Think of the burning bush. Think of the pillar of fire. Think of God on Mount Sinai, the mountain which indeed was covered with that cloud and then the fire came from the mountain and lightning and thundering. Think of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. who appears as tongues of fire. And these pictures of God revealing himself with the image of fire is a picture of the active, listen carefully, the active holiness of God. What is fire? Fire is not static. It's consuming. It always has an effect. And when God displays His glory with fire, it's saying something that He is holy and sinless and pure, but also that His holiness has an effect wherever it goes. It is an active and powerful holiness of God. And we see then that His holiness is on display when He executes His judgments with fire. Think of Sodom and Gomorrah. Fire came from heaven. Think of Hel in the seventh plague in Egypt. It was accompanied with fire from heaven. Think of Elijah and the prophets of Baal, how God sent down fire from heaven to demonstrate his holiness, his acceptance of the sacrifice, but also his divine displeasure with idolatry. Again, throughout the scriptures, this picture of God being a God of holiness in the midst of fire is from the very beginning to the very end of the word of God. In Deuteronomy chapter 32, beginning at verse 21, we read this, that God is a God when his anger is kindled, he is a consuming fire. We read in verse 19, and when the Lord saw it, and that was when he saw the idolatry of Israel. He spurned them because of the provocation of his sons and daughters, and he said, I will hide my face from them. I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom there is no faith. They have provoked me to jealousy by what is not God. They have moved me to anger by their foolish idols, but I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation. I will move them to anger by a foolish nation. Now listen to these words. For a fire is kindled in my anger and shall burn to the lowest hell. shall consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. In Isaiah chapter 66, again in verses 15 and 16, the Lord promises that his judgments will come as a consuming fire. In Hebrews chapter 12, for our God is a consuming fire. And so what's here in the scriptures when we read 2 Peter chapter 3, the fire that shall consume all impurity throughout the created realm in all creation is the fire of the holiness of God himself. It's a symbolic active, the fire here is symbolic of the active consuming holiness of God. David sings of this fire in 2 Samuel chapter 22 verse 8 and following, that God's fire consumes all that is sinful. Now what is it being consumed here? What is being burned up? When we put these things together it's rather mind-boggling. The scope of this active holiness of God and what is accomplished by it in this judgment is staggering. It includes the following, the heavens will pass away, the elements will melt with fervent heat, both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. This short description describes the universe in its totality. everything that is made. To the farthest reaches of the universe nothing will remain unscathed and the sound of it, the text says, will be like a mighty roar. It will be an audible exercise of the fire of the judgments of God which will fill the entire universe from end to end as God purifies all that is. on account of the effects of sin in the world. There's a number of things we can learn from this picture before we even get to the applications that the Apostle Peter will make. And the first is that if the heavens and the elements that are in it and the earth and the works that are in it, everything that is, if everything there is needs to be purified, it gives us a stark picture of the extent of the effects of sin in the creation. You know the difference between an early cancer diagnosis and a late cancer diagnosis? Sobering difference, isn't it? What is the difference? Well, it's those words often. The question that everyone has is, has this metastasized? Has it spread? Has it spread through the body? Has it caused a greater infection? Has it caused greater damage? The picture here from the purification requires that the effects of sin in the created world have infected everything. There is nothing that is not affected because of sin. As a matter of fact, this is astounding because it includes the heavens. includes the stars in their courses it includes everything that God has made and the power that's on display here is the power that God said let there be light and then he put the sun and the moon and the stars also in the heavens and he cast them we looked at that a number of months ago in Genesis chapter 1 He knows them all by name and we know that there's billions of galaxies and trillions upon trillions of stars and all of it, this scripture says, will be burned with fire and needs to be purified because of the effects of sin in the world that God has made. There's something mysterious about this. Isaac Watts. It's that hymn, joy to the world, no more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found. And the effects of the curse are found throughout the universe, not just in the heart, not just in the world, but in all that God has made. A sobering picture, the effects of sin. But then, There's a second thing that should cause us to think carefully about what constitutes or what constitutes lasting kingdom endeavors. What should we be busy with in this world? If all that is going to be burned, the heavens and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up, I think in the ESV it says that they will be exposed. Um, there's two different, there's two different textual variants there, but the principle is very simple that all that is sinful in the world needs to be purified and removed. Then, what will remain, what remains only after God's holy judgments? Every judgment that God executes that is parallel to this, particularly the flood and Sodom and Gomorrah and this judgment at the end of the earth, what remains at the end of the judgment? Two things. the living God and the people of God. What happens when Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed? Everything is destroyed. The houses, the land, the city, the walls, the architecture, the art, the music, everything. The only thing that's left is righteous law and his two daughters. That's who it's delivered. If you go to the flood, you have the same thing. You have Noah and his family stepping out of the ark and they are delivered. God is delivering his people And in the Ark, he's delivering its creation and then renewing his creation, but he is destroying everything else. And that's what he will do at the last day. And that makes us, that ought to make us be careful on what we think is important. Not that these things are to destroy, for example, culture and art and music and all these other things. God will burn everything up, the text says, everything. Not that these are not good and useful and reflect the image of God, but they are not the ultimate goal of God's redemptive work in history, which is to redeem a people for himself and then make a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. So the goal of the Christian first is a great spiritual goal to be found in Christ. And that others might be found in Christ ready for that great day. And that the church would be engaged not in all sorts of distractions in the world and all sorts of programs, but rather that the church would be engaged in spiritual mission, preaching the word, engaging in the discipline and oversight of the church, the administration of the sacraments. Yes, showing mercy, but with a goal for the spiritual kingdom and harvest that Christ has ordained for this age. So this teaches us what we should labor for. Third thing that it teaches us should remind us that consider just for a moment the foolishness on that day of having trusted anything but Christ. Anyone or anything but Christ. Why will it be foolish? Because there will be nothing else left to trust. Nothing. There'll be nothing at all. For those who worship the creature rather than the Creator, there'll be none. For those who were filled with the love of money, there'll be none. For those who pursued pleasure, there'll be no pleasures left to pursue. For those who loved power and the influence of this world, they will all be gone. There'll be nothing left. It will all be burned up. As God purifies this world of everything that is sinful and ungodly, there will be nothing left. As a matter of fact, There's something mysterious about this, for how will God preserve his people in the midst of this cataclysm? He will. Surely, as we are united to Christ, we will be preserved. But the picture here that Peter leaves us with is empty-handed sinners at the end of it all before a holy God who, with this power which is inexpressible, which has just purified the whole universe, that then we'll be standing face to face with God. And what then will you have? If you have Christ, you'll have everything. But if you don't, you'll have nothing. Literally, absolutely nothing. We're back to the events and the climax of history. Not only should we meditate on these things, not only have these last moments been narrated, We've seen the holy fire of the eternal God consuming all that is unrighteous, that there'll be no idols left, there'll be no covering left but Christ himself. How then should we respond to these things? Well, the first thing we should do is avoid some of the huge mistakes that Christians have made in the past. And the two I mentioned at the beginning, the error of saying the false teacher said this is never gonna happen, Peter's writing against that. But in our age in particular and even in previous ages, actually really since the beginning of the church, there have been those who've made the opposite error and have been so fixated on this one event in the New Testament, the second coming of Christ, that they have ignored the rest of what the New Testament says on how we should live and what we should be doing while we're waiting. where there's so many people are ignoring the fact that Christ presently is ascended, glorious, ruling and reigning. He has all things under his feet. He's the head of the church and he's executing all his holy will that while we are waiting, it's not as if he is less present, active or powerful. We ought not to make those mistakes. We ought to be engaged in the mission of the church, to go out to the nations, to make disciples, to baptize them and teach them as Christ has commanded us, remembering that he is with us even to the end of the age. We're not supposed to live in the present age ignoring the present goodness of God towards us as he gives us food and drink and family and church and fellowship and all these good gifts. We're to enjoy them. We're not supposed to make those two mistakes then, that is if it's the only event in the New Testament or that it's not going to happen. But instead, there are some simple, profound responses of the Christian to these truths that the apostle gives. It's in the word, therefore. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what follows is what we ought to be doing. The connecting, therefore, teaches us something all on its own. There's a logic here. A holy awareness of the day of the Lord will change the way you live. If you have grasped these things and you believe them, it's going to change the rest of your life for good. You remember that the writer of the Hebrews uses the same logic at the end of his letter as he deals with that familiar phrase, as he speaks that familiar phrase, for our God is a consuming fire. Just before that, we read, therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. And passages such as these teach us something about the Christian life. The truth of God forces a question, how should I be living? You see, it's not enough for you to walk away from here tonight, this is the simple truth, and believe these things. James tells us, even the demons believe and tremble. It's not enough just to believe them, it's that your life would be changed by them. Christianity is not a life alone, nor is it doctrine alone. It's a life deeply rooted in doctrines, the great doctrines we have in the scriptures. And so there's five therefores we have here, five responses that we're going to look at in the text. The first one is, as you think on these things, you should commit yourself again to personal holiness in conduct. The clear biblical message concerning the end of history should change the way we live. Therefore, since these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" Some of your students, you have exams. You know there's a date on the calendar where you're going to have to regurgitate everything you know. You're going to have to study, study, study. You're going to place it in your mind, and then you're going to write it all down again on a paper. And what do you do when you know there's a date? You prepare, don't you? Well, some of you probably do, and maybe some of you don't. But you should. You should, if you know that date is coming, you should be preparing. It should change everything that leads up to that future event. That's the very simple principle here. You know it's coming, so the things you do between here and there are different than they would be if you didn't know. Well, you know. And the things that should be different are your holy conduct and godliness. Holiness should be an obvious choice when we know these things. I'll say this even carefully. If we truly know these things and are meditating on them and believe them, it should be the easy choice, knowing that these things will be dissolved, knowing that you will see Christ face to face. Not that it will be easy and that you won't struggle with sin. But the truth of it will be abundantly and plainly clear if you have these things in your mind, that there is a way to live because there's an end to this life, which will be the display of the holiness of God in a way that you could never even think or imagine. History will end in fire and judgment, Peter says. Therefore, live holy. Perhaps you're caught in a sin tonight. One of the ways you can pray that God would deliver you from it is say, Lord, give me a sense of this reality, that I would understand the connection, that therefore, I must live holy before God. Live every decision, make every decision, every single decision you make with the day of the Lord in view. And this isn't a motive of abject fear. I've had people say this to me, Peter, if you preach this way, then you're just saying, where's the gospel in this? Where is the grace of God in this? You're just saying God's going to come to judge the earth, and I have to shape up. The Apostle Paul says, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. The terror of the Lord. Knowing his holy wrath, we plead with men to turn from idols to serve the living God, to find the refuge in Christ, the refuge from the storm. That's what this holy conduct ought to begin with, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And then there is no fear, for then, knowing the perfect love of God, it casts out fear. And with confidence and longing, we look for that day. And we have a true fear of God, which is good and right in all things. The second thing that follows this is not only a holy conduct, but an expectation and a longing for this particular day. Now notice how strong the language is in verse 12. We're to be looking for and hastening the coming of the day of the Lord. In other words, the passion of the Christian is that this day couldn't come quickly enough. The reason we wait for it patiently is because we are waiting for God to execute all his holy purposes for his kingdom. But our hearts run to the day that we shall see Christ face to face. But here notice, Peter even says, that our hearts long for the day that God will purify the heavens and the earth. That we expect these particular events, we wait and we hasten. We long for God to purify this world and to purify us. There ought to be a holy longing and expectation. A third thing that we ought to cultivate in our hearts and in our lives as we consider this is in verse 13. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new worth in which righteousness dwells. Some of you perhaps are dreamers. You like to daydream. You like to think about things you want to do tomorrow. Perhaps you dream about. certain things. You want a relationship or a vacation in a warm climate, a certain home, a certain car, a certain job. There's things we dream of, things that we wish our kids would grow up to do. We have dreams and hopes and aspirations. It's remarkable how much time we spend on them often and don't spend on our duties. especially when we're daydreaming, but it's even more remarkable is how much we dream about these things and we don't set our minds on the things which are above where Christ is, especially when we have this command. Think, this is a command of God. He's saying, as it were, dream of the ultimate glory. Think on Wait for, long for that perfection, the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. This is, I said a moment ago, how David said, oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day. Here's a command from God to say, long for and wait for the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. This ought to be part of the way that we live. Not dreaming about the present, but longing for heaven. Mr. Van Boris just prayed in our pastoral prayer just a few moments ago that ought to be the heartbeat of the Christian's longing. A fourth application here, a fourth way that we should live is live in preparation to stand face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 14, another, therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace without spot and blameless. There's a preparation here for two things, to see the Lord Jesus Christ, to appear before him with peace in our hearts, clinging to him for salvation and grace, without spot and blameless, trusting him for salvation and seeking holiness. But at the heart of it, there is a longing and a desire that in the midst of all these things, what will come is Christ himself for the believer and we shall see him face to face as he is. You will see the Lord Jesus Christ. You will see him as the holy judge or you'll see him as the savior of your own soul. You will see him one way or the other. Peter says, as a believer knowing this day is coming, you long to see him and to be before him, to be found by him as he comes for you. Notice it's the term beloved there. This is a comforting phrase. He's saying beloved, the Lord Jesus is coming to find you. in peace, without spot, and blameless. All through the ages, this has been the desire of the godly. Job, living in the era of the patriarchs, for I know that my redeemer lives, and at the last, he will stand upon the earth, and after my skin has thus been destroyed, yet in my flesh, what does he say? I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and not another my eyes shall behold. And then this phrase. My heart faints within me. He cannot wait. He cannot wait for the day. Blessed are the pure in heart, Jesus says, for they shall see God. In first John chapter three, we already read it last week, but again, beloved, now we are children of God. It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but when we know, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. And then in that perfect description of everlasting glory in chapter 22, the saints in heaven, they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads. Fourth, therefore, is that you should prepare yourself by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and longing to see him face to face, to be found by him in peace without spot and blameless. and then a fifth. Therefore, and this one's a little bit more complicated, it's verses 15 and 16, it's really that we would consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. While waiting for Christ we are consider each new day a reminder of the patience of God with sinners. Now who's Peter writing to? He's writing to a persecuted downtrodden church that's been attacked from the outside and from the inside and they're weary and they're waiting. And you see if you talk to someone who's been persecuted If you talk to somebody who's on their deathbed, if you've talked to someone who has been grieved and has lost a loved one, if you talk to someone who's in great suffering, you see them start to long for Christ in a way that we, who have much and prosperity and peace and plenty, our hearts sometimes are still too cold. You find them praying for and longing for heaven in a way that You don't quite yet understand and the Lord may bring you there through trials and temptations. You talk to somebody who's persecuted and they've seen their tormentors and the tormentors of the church and they long for both justice and heaven. That's the kind of people that Peter's writing to here. And so at the end, he gives an exhortation to patience. He says, while you're yet waiting for this day of Christ, remember that each day that passes is a reminder of the patience of God with sinners. including with you and with me. We don't have time to get into it all, but Peter here refers to Paul, who picks up this theme in his letter to the Romans, and then particularly 1 and 2 Thessalonians, also in 1 Corinthians. And Peter says, I'm telling you what I've also read in the letters of the Apostle Paul. As a side note, notice that he says the letters of the Apostle Paul are scripture. He receives them as the word of God, like he received the prophets of the Old Testament, as he said earlier in this letter and the previous letter. He receives Paul as the Word of God, and he says that Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has said the same things to you. He's told you about the patience and forbearance of God. Think of Romans 2.4, for example. He's saying that as Paul has written these things to you, so have I. The consistent apostolic witness is that Christ will return. Peter's saying we're all saying the same things, but that his delay should not cause you doubt. but should cause you to remember that God is not willing that any of you should perish, but that all should come to repentance in the present age." He's saying in all these things as we wait, don't be discouraged. It's the patience of God on display. Two practical things. The patience of God with you. And maybe it's a patience which has been waiting for this day. Because it asks you a sobering question. If you're a Christian, you have thought about these things, and you ought to be meditating on these things, and these things have already started to change your life. The reality of an appointment with the living judge of the heavens and the earth, you've thought about it already. If you never have, remember that God is patient in the present day, and you need to begin now. You need to begin now. Today is the day of salvation. Second thing for the church, while God is patient, This ought to urge us to go to a lost and dying world and declare a coming Savior, King, and Judge, Jesus Christ, with sweetness, preaching his forbearance, his patience, the good news of the gospel, but also warning men that one day the heavens and all that are in them, the elements, the earth, and all the works that are contained therein will be burned with fire and there will be nothing left, and that sinners need Jesus. Again, I said the dividing line here, if we receive this word, is that it doesn't change the way that you live. Let me simply ask you a question. What kind of life are you living? Is it a life that reflects these holy, simple truths that the day of the Lord is coming as surely as he arose from the dead, ascended into heaven? As the angel said, he will come again on the clouds from glory in the same manner. Do you believe these things? And are you ready for them? and are you longing for them? Let's pray. Lord, we pray that your word would find root in our hearts tonight, that this would not be a passing moment, but rather that we would go home and pray over these things, that we would think on that one day that shall come when your mighty power in consuming fire will fill the entire universe to its widest extent, and that out of that you will bring forth a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells, and that we should look forward to the day that we are face to face with Christ at peace, pure and spotless because of his work. Lord, we would ask that if there are any here tonight who have not thought about these things and are not living by them, that you would so turn them to Christ. And all of us, O God, make us even tonight more holy, more like Christ, more filled with longing, and more filled with joy, a joy inexpressible which we shall fully experience in this great day. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.