The very last verse, let thy congregation escape tribulation. And our good Presbyterian Reformed brethren says, no, no, we don't escape tribulation. We endure through tribulation. So in that case, they did a good job of helping us to understand. Let's go to the Lord in prayer this morning. Father, we come to you appreciative that you have given us your Word. We ask that you would bless us, that you would enable us to honor you through Jesus, our blessed Redeemer. We thank you that we can gather together this morning to ask your blessing. Father, we ask that you would be with those who are still en route, those who are listening over the electronic media. We particularly pray that you would be with Rick Olson in the hospital as he listens online. And Father, we ask that you would be with us now in the name of Jesus, our blessed Redeemer. Amen. Alright, let's get our Bibles out and turn to the last chapter of 2 Peter. We're coming very close to the final few verses. In fact, if you have in your ESV, all right, if you have your ESV, it's got a nice big paragraph indention and a title. These are Peter's final words. Peter, of course, has been dealing with the problem throughout his epistle of those who are mocking the Lord Jesus Christ, those who are doing what is referred to as false teaching, trying to teach believers in Jesus that they can live immoral lives because, after all, the only thing that they have hanging over their heads is the final judgment, and that's not happening. And so Peter says, these guys are scorners. They are mockers. He deals with those false teachers, of course, and their methodology and their motivation in the second chapter. And then in 2 Peter chapter 3, he identifies what the problem is. And of course, the problem is that they are, in order to support their immoral lifestyle, they are denying that God is going to come in judgment because He hasn't yet. Of course, they took Jesus and said that, going to come again, the people who are still alive are going to see the second coming of Jesus. But Peter, you're getting ready to die and It ain't happened yet. In fact, even worse in our day and our age, 2,000 years has gone by and still Jesus has not come back. And so as we deal with second Peter, we come in and of course Peter says, you have to understand God is not bound by this physical realm. In fact, when Jesus does come again, what's going to happen to this physical realm? It is going to be annihilated. It's going to be destroyed. And in its place, a new heavens and a new earth is going to be coming. And what's going to be the characteristic of this new heavens and new earth? It's going to have beautiful sunsets. Actually, no, there won't be any sunsets. Not only because, by the way, you know what? I used to have a longhorn friend that told me that that's how I knew God was a longhorn. because the beautiful sunsets were golden burnt orange. And of course, I said, wait a minute, the physics says they're burnt orange because of the dirt in the air. And so anyway, but nonetheless, there will be no sunset. Why not? because there will be no sun which will set, and there will be perpetual light because the Son of God Himself will be the light." We saw that, of course, as we studied last week in Revelation chapter 21. So the apostle Peter is saying now, as we're looking at his concluding remarks, First of all, he says that we are to be, verse 12, waiting for, or New American Standard translates that, looking for and hastening the coming day of the Lord. in which the heavens will be set on fire, they'll be dissolved, heavenly bodies will melt, and accordingly, the promise that we are waiting for is the new heavens and the new earth wherein righteousness dwells. And that's, of course, the key, all right? It is not that this physical creation holds the wonderful things, although we enjoy this creation. By the way, why do we do that? Why do we enjoy this creation? Because God made this creation, all right? And we still have there, even though the creation itself is tainted when Adam sinned, nonetheless, we still are able to see God in that. We still have the image of God in us, or we actually are the image of God, even though that is covered over in such a way that we're affected by sin. Yes, brother? Well, Ben's question, for those of you who might not have heard that, is that, Ben's question is, does he just mean the earth itself, just this one planet is going to be destroyed, or is all of creation, the billions and billions of stars and all that other stuff, how are we able to answer that? Okay? It seems to indicate, if we'll look back, all right, in verse 12, the heavens will be set on fire. three trillion galaxies. Each galaxy has billions of stars and planets and solar systems and all of that. But what does the Scripture say? It says all of that is held together by the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him all things are held together. In fact, that even down to the smallest atom. And so if you wonder how immense God is, think about the universe. If you think about the, as Ben said, trillions and trillions of galaxies. but yet God is holding every atom of every one of those stars into being, and they will all be dissolved. Now, how did they get created? With one word. How will they be destroyed? Well, I tend, as a physics guy, I tend to say, well, by the withdrawal of that word. because as God holds things together, as he withdraws that, what will naturally happen? It will be dissolved and a new heavens and a new earth will come into its place. All right? Now, what will be the nature of the new heavens and the new earth? The new heavens and the new earth will be somewhere where righteousness dwells or inhabits, all right? So we're so physical nature bound, it's difficult for us to imagine living in a spiritual world where physical stuff may or may not happen. Okay? But yet, the one thing that we know is when it says righteousness dwells there, Wayne, what does that mean ain't going to dwell there? sin and unrighteousness will—in fact, that's what Peter's whole point is, is that unrighteousness or that lack of godliness will be judged. All right, as we look now at the final words, we're going to do about a verse and a half this morning, because I want to you know, keep together the thoughts that the Apostle Peter makes. So if you look at verse 14 of 2 Peter 3, Now, how can we tell then that we are approaching the summary? What part of that text tells us now that we are about to receive, other than I look down at the blank spot in my page, there's no writing on it, so I know that we're only about a half a dozen or so verses from the end. How can I tell that we're about to get to Peter's summary statement? We see the word, therefore, it is a conclusion. Now, Peter is doing a couple of different things. Not only is he concluding his whole epistle, but he is certainly concluding the very thoughts that he is having. Therefore, beloved, all right? And so we see this bottom line, but who is he addressing? Now, it's interesting because he has just spent a whole chapter talking about what is going to happen to the earth and ungodliness in the earth. But yet, who is he talking to? He says, believers. He says, yes, the earth is going to be judged. The earth is going to be dissolved. The heavens are going to dissolve. They're going to melt with the intense heat. Now, as that happens, all right, we go back up in verse 11, he says, these things are to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be? And he does the very thing because that's what's happening. He, back up in verse 11, he made the application to believers. And now, even more directly, just in case you weren't listening back up in verse 11, He's going to simply say, therefore, beloved. Now, what do you notice he didn't say? How did he not address them? What is the other term that he does when you're addressing a group of believers? Brothers, brethren, all right. What is the difference? Well, brethren simply says we have a relationship. But what happens when, or what's the difference then between the relationship of brothers, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and beloved? All right? That is a even more of a special relationship. All right? My wife is my wife. Now, I don't address her as wife, come here. That would obviously not be appropriate. Why? Because I address her by some more affectionate name. Sweetie, have you seen this? Alright, dear, have you come in? What does the apostle Peter do? That's exactly what he does. And he does the exact same thing he did back in verse 8 where he says, let this one thing not escape your notice, beloved. And then he talks for a while, assuming that they know whom he is talking about. So now we have this special, by the way, just in case you were wondering, the word for beloved is agape love, brethren. Agapetoi, those who are loved, with that special relationship love of God. All right, so what does he do? Verse 14, then he says, all right, we've been talking about this thing called eschatology. All right, eschatology. Duane, what eschatology, remind us, means what? The doctrine of, the ology or the study of the end times or the last things that are going to be taking place. And the Apostle Peter says, therefore, since you are waiting for these, is the way the New American Standard translates that. And here we use that word. New American Standard translates, any of you have a New American Standard? Well, of course, I have my New American Standard. And it says, beloved, since you look for these things. All right? Well, what's the difference between waiting for and looking for? King James says, seeing that, you look for these things. seeing the ESV, seeing that you are waiting for. Now, here is our English, we have a slight different look. What does it mean to be looking for something and waiting for something? Is there those two exact identical phrases? All right, now, again, I think I would agree. If I am looking for something, all right, when I'm on the ship on the ocean, back in the Plymouth voyage, we're getting ready to celebrate, you know, the coming of the Mayflower to America, did that ship look for something? Or did they just wait for it? Yeah, what do they call that wonderful room outside the doctor's office? The waiting room. And what are people doing in the waiting room? Obviously, they're waiting, but they're just enduring, right? They're just kind of waiting for something. Well, that's not the structure, although ESV translates that waiting, and that would be good. If I am awaiting the coming of Jesus, the parousia, That's one thing, but the word actually is talking about actively looking for. What are you doing if you're looking for, as the people on the Mayflower, they set some guy up in the top little thingy, what's that called? The crow's nest. Okay. In the crow's nest. And what was his function? He was to keep vigilant sight of anything that might remotely look like land. He was actively looking for it. And that's kind of the stretch, or excuse me, the stretch, that's the sense that the Apostle Peter is talking about here. We are looking for, not just twiddling our thumbs waiting for the end. Now, at the same time, that guy up at the top, that's all he's doing because that's what his job is. However, the Apostle Peter says, no, no, no, no, you are to be looking for, but you're also to be doing something while you're looking for it. So we need to kind of find a word other than I'm in the waiting room twiddling my thumbs and all I'm doing is searching for the day. By the way, do you know Christians who that's all they're doing is searching for what's going to happen at the end times? Yeah, unfortunately. You know, I heard a phrase one time, someone, of course, he was mocking and ridiculing Christianity, that they were so heavenly minded that they, have you heard this phrase, that they were, how's it go, Wayne? They are no earthly good. Well, what is Peter saying? Peter's saying we need to be doing both. We need to be heavenly-minded looking for the return of the Lord Jesus, but at the same time, we need to be doing something actively here. Now, what does this text say that we're to be doing something? What are we to be doing? Well, ESV says that we are to be diligent to be found in him without spot or blameless. and at peace. All right? Well, we're going to deal with that here in just a little while. I want to go back, you know, and still get this waiting for, looking for. What does it say that we are to be looking for or waiting for? Well, does it say we are to because you are waiting for the Lord's return? What does your text say? Well, unfortunately, it just simply is a pronoun. You're to be looking for these, or some of your texts may say these things. Now, what is that that we're looking for? All right. Well, let's look back up at where he uses this because this whole concept of looking for, he's going to be repeating over and over again in verse 12. See if you can find it in verse 12. Well, it's not hard to find it right there at the beginning. Waiting and hastening, what? The coming of the day of the Lord, all right, because God is going to come in His glory and Heaven comes down and glory fills His throne. What a wonderful day that will be. Is that what verse 12 says? No, because that is the judgment day. And then in verse 13, what does it say? What are we waiting for? We are waiting for the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. So which is it? Are we waiting for judgment, the judgment day, or are we waiting for the new heavens and the new earth? Answer is what? Yes, we are. Both of those. Now, as we brought out last week, we're not looking for judgment day so that we can go around and strut around and say, I told you, I told you so. No. I mean, I'm sure that there will be those who try and do that, but those who have, it's going to be a day of sadness. All right? It's going to be a day of sadness for those who have rejected the Lord Jesus. You remember the parable that Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus. Do you remember that? The rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was the poor man. There was a rich man who, you know, Lazarus got to feed from the crumbs off of his table and they both died. All right. It says that the poor man went into the bosom of Abraham and the rich man went into everlasting punishment. And between the two, there was a great gulf, all right, a chasm. And then he says why that chasm was there. Why? It was not so that the rich man could escape and just hop the fence and get into heaven. Why was that chasm there? Because of the compassion of those who are in Abraham's bosom for those who are, you know, not there. So this is not going to be a, when the heavens are destroyed, it's I told you so, dance around, says whoop-dee-doo, whoop-dee-doo, we won the game and you lost the game. Because that's not going to be the way it is. We're going to rejoice that there is a new heavens and a new earth. Quite frankly, what is our job going to be? Our job is to be the judge, right? Isn't that what Revelation chapter 20 says? Okay, and they will judge the earth, and they will judge impartially. But nonetheless, what's really taking place is that believers are looking forward to both of those things. Now, are we looking forward to the day of God because finally I had this burden off and I'll know whether I made it or didn't make it. Whether I was good enough or not good enough. You know, whether or not my good works were gonna balance out my bad works, because I sure know about all those bad works, but I'm hoping that I can have enough good works that they'll balance out each, is that what Jesus said? Okay, he does say that my works will be judged, But when he comes, Matthew chapter 25, what will you be judged on the basis of? Are you a sheep? Are you a goat? That's the only question that will be asked. Do you have your sins taken care of because they are laid at the feet of Jesus or are they laid at your own feet? And that's going to be the judgment. Now, We are looking for that day. We know that the day is coming. We are eager because of the wonderful things. And by the way, brothers and sisters, I kind of, as I think about this, I am thinking, why are we looking forward to it? Because it's going to be so great for me. because I will have such great rewards. Think about my gloom, despair, and agony, my pain, it will be gone. Hallelujah, it will be great for me. I don't think so. Why will we be rejoicing in that day? Once again, Dwayne, what did you just say? Because we, The thing that I think is going to happen, that we look forward to the new heavens and the new earth, because righteousness will dwell there, because God will be glorified. All right? You remember in the book of the Revelation chapter 25, not 25, chapter 5, when they're in the kingdom of heaven, what are the saints crying? Says, oh, how great this is. This is so wonderful. I can't believe, look at this sea of crystal. I can't believe I'm here. You know, there's not one saint saying that, is there? What are the saints saying? Blessings and honor and glory and power and dominion be unto whom? Unto the Lamb. this is what the new heavens and the new earth are going to be so because we can be praising him completely. I'm sorry. I'm good. All right, Peter. Yeah, Ben's point is exactly right. When righteousness dwells there, I don't have very many sentences come out of my mouth that starts with the word I. Because all I can think about is Jesus and the Son of God. Yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah. Mm hmm. Well, in those days, it will be amazing. You know, we had the discussion last week, week before last, will I know my loved ones in heaven? Will I know, will I see? What will we know? We will know my loved one. And that's going to be, that's going to be the thing. that it's just absolutely going to be amazing as we are just blown away by being in God's presence. All right, Peter now, in his conclusion now, it says that there is going to be a basis for what we are looking for, all right? And that's what, if you'll bear with me, the verb is saying, all right, the verb is we are waiting for, looking for, is a, remember those Greek words that are in the present tense, are a continual, all right, is not just a we look for it and then we found it and that's it. we are looking for, we are continually looking for. And now Peter comes and he says, all right, here is the deal. We're talking about eschatology. The eschatological future now is going to have a basis. Here is why we study eschatology. And then he tells us, he's already told us in verse 11, he's now going to tell us again, lest we have forgotten in the last three verses, that the reason we study eschatology is so that we in this life can be exhorted to do what? Well, that's what he says. He says, as you are waiting, as you are looking for these things, be diligent. In other words, what he's talking about is that we have the responsibility to be diligent looking for things in accordance with this covenant in which we dwell. He could title this, well, yes, he titles this Final Words. We could also say this is what new covenant ethics is all about. Now, what is ethics? how you ought to live your life. All right? How you ought to live your life. And our ethics are based, according to Peter, on what? Our understanding of the future. Our understanding of God's coming and establishing righteousness. Since you look forward to that time that God is going to establish righteousness, what ought you to be doing? Be diligent to be righteous. And that's what he says that we ought to be doing. Therefore, brethren, be diligent. Now, it's difficult, all right? It's difficult because in the Old Covenant, what was the ethical, when you read the Old Testament, what was the essence of Old Testament ethics? Do this and you will live. Don't do this and... You will not live, you will die. You will be cursed. Blessings and cursings, that's the old covenant paradigm, pattern. What is the new covenant? What does the Apostle Paul say over and over and over again? This is who you are in Jesus Christ. Now do what? Live that way. This is who you are, now go and do it. I mean, Galatians, he talks about the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the spirit. Romans, you know, mind set on the flesh, mind set on the spirit, over and over again. These are the kinds of things. Now, James says, how am I gonna know that I have faith? I'll know my faith by what? By your works, by the things that you do. And that's what the apostle Peter says. All right. Now, does that mean we never need to be exhorted? No. The whole New Testament is full of exhortations. But again, they're always the same exhortation to believers. And that is, you do what it is that Christians do. You don't live according to the flesh. You live according to the Spirit because you are in the Spirit. All right. But the second thing is, Peter says that you need to have active participation. This is not sitting in the waiting room, twiddling our thumbs, waiting for the second coming. What are we to be doing as we look for Jesus to come again? We are to be actively pursuing these things. That's one of those things that we're able to see there. living an active life while we are looking. Why? Because you know what's coming. Oh, that's right, I know what's coming. I certainly don't want to be found doing the wrong thing when Jesus comes again. What kind of motivation is that, brothers and sisters? No. Why should I not want to do the wrong thing? because that brings shame on the very name of the one who I am designed to glorify. So the exhortation there is to be diligent, make every effort. The apostle Peter, by the way, has said this several times. Look all the way back in chapter one. Chapter one in verse 10. Therefore, brethrens, be all the more diligent. To do what? Make your calling and election sure. Are you the one who calls yourself? Did you elect yourself? No, that comes from God. But what's your responsibility? You're to make it sure. Make it sure. Look at verse 15. I will make every effort so that after my departure, you'll be able to call these things to mind. The apostle Peter says, I have this responsibility to be diligent. What's Peter's responsibility? To make sure that he says, I have no problem. I'll tell you again and again and again. And many times I need to tell you so that you'll be able to bring these things to mind. And now in verse 14, he says, you are to be diligent And now the translation is going to be a little bit difficult here. Let me read it to you in the ESV. It says, therefore, waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish and at peace. Let me read it from the New American Standard. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless. Now, what's the difference? Well, all of those words were there, correct? But the word order kind of makes the difference in the meaning. All right, what is to be found in him? Well, that would imply you need to be found in Him, you need to be found spotless and blameless, and by doing that, you'll be at peace. That's kind of what I get from the ESV translation. Now, again, let me go back to the very literal way. And this is the way the Greek word order says, and translated, of course, for us. Be diligent, spotless, and blameless to be found in peace. Now, be diligent, spotless, and blameless to be found in peace. What is the implication of that word order? Well, we're gonna talk about spotless and blameless here in a minute, but that is an aspect of what? Of our diligence, all right? Being spotless and blameless, it says, be diligent, spotless, blameless, and found in peace. And that's, I think, the thing that we're able to see. Now, the spotless and the blameless, I want you to look at a very interesting verse that we covered in chapter 2. Go back to chapter 2. You remember who chapter 2 was talking about? Who was Peter talking about in chapter 2? The false prophets. Verse 12 says, But these, the false prophet, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, they will No knowledge will in destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong for the wages of doing wrong." Now, I want you to read the very next very interesting thing. He's talking about these false believers. They countered a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes. Those two very words are the exact same words with one small detail different as what Peter says that believers should be like. And what's that one small detail? Look at verse 14 of chapter 3. Without spot or blemish. Okay. What does it say about the false teachers? They have spots and blemishes. All right, of course, this is an illustration. This goes back to what? The Old Testament sacrifices. What animals were to come forward? Only the best, only those without the spots, without the blemishes. All right, the ones with spots and blemishes, what does Peter equate those with? The false teachers. What are believers to do? They are to be the ones without spot or blemishes. Well, Max, I just, I told you it was my merits because those I am without spot and blemish or I would not be the lamb offered up. Now, brothers and sisters, what does that mean? All right, if I am the one without spot or blemish, by the way, who has no spots or blemishes? Well, go back to Peter's first letter. All right. Go back to Peter's first letter. In chapter 1, verse 19 of chapter 1, verse 18, it says, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life that you inherited from your forefathers, but you were but you were redeemed with precious blood as a lamb unblemished and not spotted or spotless." Whose blood is that? The blood of Jesus. Well, wait a minute. If it's Jesus' blood, He has already been sacrificed, what does it say that I'm supposed to be doing? I need to be diligent spotless and blameless. I don't understand. Well, it's got two obvious messages. What are the two obvious messages? Number one, we need to find a way to get Jesus' spotlessness and blamelessness, correct? And the only way we can do that is that we have it imputed to us because how many of us are spotless and blameless? None. But nonetheless, remember what Peter's doing. Peter's not just simply saying, ah, once you're in Jesus, you've got it made, you can kick back and just relax and wait for the second coming. No, this is an active becoming spotless and blameless that he's talking about. All right, remember in chapter one of 2 Peter, What are we to be diligent about? Making our calling and election sure. We are to be the ones who are putting on this righteousness. So on one hand, the Apostle Peter says there's no way you can be spotless and blameless except that you are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. On the other hand, what is your responsibility? because you are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, you are responsible to be diligent. Well, wait a minute. How can I do that? Because if I'm doing stuff, I need to ask what's in it for me? What's the reward of my being diligent? Other than that, I'll just That's what the whole point is. The whole point is that you can't be doing this unless you are in the New Covenant, unless you are in Jesus Christ. And if you are in Jesus Christ, that's all you want to do is to be spotless and blameless. And that's what our goal is to be doing. All right. It's only possible because of Jesus's imputed righteousness. And at the same time, we need to remember the apostle Peter is talking to us about what we are to be diligent to do. Now, finally, the section that we have there is that we're to be found in peace. We are to be found in peace. We are not to be spotless and blameless so that we can find peace. What is the tense of the verb? Or actually, what is the mood of, not mood. Actually, is it active or passive? So that I can be found. Voice, thank you. Okay. So that I can be found in him. And now, what is it I'm to be found in? Because see, that's what, again, looking at the word order, that's why it's very important. Because in peace is not a, you need to be found so that you can have peace, is that you need to be found in peace. What's the picture that we have here? When Jesus, remember the parable, when Jesus comes again, will he find faith on the earth? Will he find those who are at peace? What's the question that he's really asking? He says, will he find believers who are trusting in him? And of course, the answer is, of course he is going to, but at the same time, We need to look at what we're talking about. We need to be found by Jesus. When is this being found at peace? At the parousia. That's the context of what we're talking about. Now, this is judicial language. When you walk out of the courtroom having been accused, what are you going to say? I was found to be innocent or I was found to be guilty. Correct? Did you do any finding in the courtroom? No. The court does that. And so once again, it points right back to what metaphor is this final parousia talking about. Again, it is a legal, judicial looking at things. Now, both the imputed righteousness and the diligence to pursue the righteousness, this is a very important point, will always be found together. Let's see if I can say this again. Where there is imputed righteousness, there will always be the desire to do righteousness. Why? Because you have, what was the word you used, Scott? A new nature. That's why the whole concept of the new birth is so important. All right? That's why when Nicodemus comes to Jesus, Jesus says, unless you were born again, you cannot even see the kingdom of God unless you were born again. Once you are born again, then you rejoice, you place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. All right, can you place your faith in, that's why those who have a concept of when do I get born again? As soon as you give your faith. As soon as you believe, then God can give you the new birth. No, that's what Nicodemus tells, is told by Jesus. You can't even see Jesus. unless he opens your eyes. I love that Charles Wesley hymn, you know, I was laying in the dungeon, I was dead. And behold, a light came in and brought me to life and I was able to rise and go forth and follow Jesus. Charles Wesley had it right, he understood that. He says, I can't even do it unless Jesus comes into my life first. All right. And so this metaphor continues. It's the sheep and goats metaphor. Now there's one more thing, because I wanted to get to that first phrase in chapter five. The first phrase, excuse me, not chapter five, first phrase in verse 15. because it goes along with this, and then the Apostle Peter talks for two or three more verses on a different subject that we're going to take up next week. All right, and therefore you're to count the patience of our Lord as salvation. Now, remember back up in where we're talking about salvation. Look back up at chapter 3 and verse 9. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but He is patient. So there's two of those words right there, correct? We're to see the counting. How does the unbelieving false teachers count? They count God as accountable to my concepts. But the apostle Peter says, no, no, no, no. God does not count things the way we do. As some account slowness, we cannot ever go to God and says, Lord, you are not on time. It's kind of like the general when I was in the army. The general is never late. Sometimes those privates and majors and colonels are waiting for a couple of hours for on time to happen, but the general is never late. God is never late. And that's the point that we need to understand. God is not slow, God is patient. Now, once again, we see who is God patient towards back up in verse 9. He is patient towards unbelievers. What does it say in verse 9? Come on. He is patient towards you, beloved." Now, I think that has two applications, all right? Because the you is going to be the same group as the beloved, not, in fact, that's where we saw the phrase, not wanting any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. All of whom? All of you to come to repentance. And so why is God patient? Well, because the fullness of God's people is not full yet. All right? Because there are still those out there who are going to become believers. And God is not coming in judgment until every sheep believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of them are not born yet. When will we know when the last sheep comes into the sheep fold? When the Lord comes again, we'll know that there are no more because that number is perfect. How many are there? I've got my ticker ticking. How many are there? Myriads of myriads, 10,000s of 10,000s. Men from every tongue and tribe and nation. How do we know that there are still the elect of God who need to be confronted with the gospel, who need to believe in the Lord Jesus? Because we are still here. And as long as we are here, A, there's hope, and B, the Lord Jesus has not come back yet. On that day, when he comes back, it will be like, well, in Romans chapter 11, it says, when will all Israel be saved? When the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. And in that way, all Israel will be saved. And in that way, all of the gospel of Jesus Christ will be realized. And I think Peter's talking about that, all right? Again, he's patient towards those who have already believed. He is patient towards those who have not yet believed. He is patient towards those who are needing to make their calling election sure, chapter 1 and verse 10. He is patient towards those who are working out their salvation with fear and trembling. Apostle Paul says that, does he not, in Philippians chapter 2? In fact, Peter's getting ready to refer to what Paul says. In 1 Peter, he says that your faith may be proved, even through the testing of fire you may be found to result in the praise and glory and honor of the revelation, the apocalypsis, the revelation of Jesus. In fact, go back real quickly over to 1 Peter 1 again. 1 Peter 1, An interesting thing, in verse 7 it says that the proof of your faith being more precious than the gold which is perishable, even though the testing of fire may be found to result in the praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. What's he talking about there? Whose praise, whose glory, whose honor? God's, of course. At when? at the revealing of Jesus Christ. Another word for the second coming of Jesus, when the Lord Jesus is revealed again. And so we're able to see that. All right. We're able to do this. Now, one last thing very quickly, and we're out of time, over in 2 Peter. 2 Peter is verse 15, it says, you are to count, ESV, New American Standard translates that, you are to regard. That is, you are to regard is what's called a middle voice. It's inside of me, all right, that I am to count God's patience as salvation. In fact, that's the very same thing that King David talked about. King David talked about that. He says that we all have the privilege of serving him all the days of our lives. And then what does he say at the end of Psalm 23? That we may dwell, where? In the house of the Lord, forever. Now, what David didn't say is that he didn't say, in this life, are we dwelling in the house of the Lord? Absolutely. In the life to come? Absolutely. For those who are in Jesus Christ, we are to dwell in the house of the Lord. We are to consider God's patience as salvation. for those who need to hear, for those who have heard. Let's pray. We thank You, Lord, that You have given us Your salvation in Jesus Christ. We thank You that You have given us the Lord who is the spotless Lamb of God, without spot, without blemish. And we thank you that we can be found in him. Father, we pray that that would grip us as we live our lives, that we would be exhorted to live lives of godliness, knowing that the day of the Lord is coming. therefore to live lives holy, blameless, and acceptable unto you. Be with us now as we worship your name in the coming hour. Be with us and we pray that you would be with Pastor Greg as he brings us your words from your word. And Father, we ask that your blessing would be on us as we give you worship through Jesus. Amen.