Amen. Tonight we're going to open our Bible once again at 2 Peter 3. And we will read from verse 9 through to the end of the chapter. And then we will pause in order to concentrate on verses 11 through to 14. And while we will not be able to go into this in all its detail tonight, we do want to look at least at one or two important aspects of truth that are here. Our theme for tonight is simple and easy to remember, and it is simply stranger danger. And you'll see as we go through the study what we mean by that. There are dangers all around us as the people of God, but there are also dangers that are within us. And the focus, one of the focuses that Peter brings us is that while the strangers can be a danger to us, we are in fact strangers to the world and therefore we are a challenge to the world. So that's the thought that's embedded in our title. Let's read then from verse 9 through to the end of the chapter. is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, Looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless. And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you. as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and forever. Amen. Amen. Well, Peter is coming to the end of his second letter, and he is identifying on two fronts. One with the word of Paul. He is in agreement with Paul's teaching, which has gone out, not only to those that Peter is addressing, but as he indicates in verse 16 in all his epistles. So that means that every epistle that he has written, he is bringing the same message or the same teaching. So the entire New Testament church has been made aware of the concerns that are being raised here by Peter. And that, of course, is predominantly because this influence has crept into all the churches. That's why you will find that Paul is very adamant as he warns believers of the dangers that begin as an outward concern but eventually find their way into the very heart of the church. And so the warning of Scripture is that we need to be collectively concerned and alert as we see the day approaching. Now the inference of Peter here is that while the thought that has been raised and the issue that has been confronted Currently in this epistle is that of false teachers and preachers spreading a false gospel, a false message which has as its heart the broken promises of God. That is what is at the heart of this concern. God has not kept his promise and therefore he is not trustworthy. If we have found him to be unfaithful in this element of supposed truth, then how much more can we trust? That is the influence that has been undermining the churches. And so, Peter has drawn on that by insisting, in the opening verses of this third chapter, that whatever God has declared and decreed, God will do. That's the reality. God will not disappoint His people. He cannot break His word. And so, for example, in verse five, he indicates, this they willfully forget that by the word of God, the heavens were of old, the earth standing out of water and in the water by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth, which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." So, Peter is saying God has a purpose. God has a reason for doing what he does when he does it. He will not be hurried. He will not be distracted. He will not be disturbed. He will fulfill his word. And here is the final confirmation, verse 9, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise. Verse 10, but the day of the Lord will come. So that is the burden of this final chapter and the final phase of the chapter. But not only does he want to approach these truths in an apologetic way, and that's a theological term or expression. Apologetics has to do with defending the faith. And that's the argument that Peter has been bringing. He's been defending the truth of the promises of God, the inerrancy of God's Word. And he has to a degree felt that he has achieved the answer that was required. He has silenced, as it were, the arguments of the false teachers and preachers. But he doesn't want to simply do that. He wants to now apply these truths to the extent of building up the church, strengthening believers who may have been influenced by this skepticism, who may be wavering in their faith. He now wants to ensure that this message of the coming of Jesus will stir them up to greater endeavor and to a more devout expression of their allegiance to Christ and their relationship with him. So, he turns in verse 11 to bring the challenge to the church and having brought the challenge he will He will develop that into a positive message of encouragement. And we'll be looking at that for the next night or two as we bring this study of this book to a close. But look at verse 11. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved. So that's the matter settled. God's Word is true. We know it's true. We approve it. We accept it. We build upon it. So now, what do we do knowing that, grasping that truth? Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? And you will see how Peter breaks down our relationship and our walk with God in these two areas. On the inside, godliness. That's what God does in us. But we have to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. So what God works in us, we have to work out. So how does that relate? What is the kind of life we ought to live in terms of godliness. How is godliness or likeness to Jesus, how was that seen? How was that observed? How was that known in our daily walk? Well, here we're told in holy conduct. See, if we're going to be like Christ, we have to focus on holiness. Pursue holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. So that now becomes the concern. So how do we project this attitude and this behavior or these actions in the world around us? In verse 12, Having given us the challenge, he now sets out the motivation. And we did look at motivation last study in particular. And we linked the motivation with expectation. And we learned two things, that expectation develops motivation, and motivation will develop expectations. So you really can't have one without the other. You have to have a motive, and that motive has to have a desired effect or a desired destination. There has to be a purpose that encourages the motivation to be developed, and likewise, you need to have an expectation that there will be definite results at the end of the project or the program or in this case the living of the life and the conduct of holiness in order to create that motivation and to stir up the motivation and to keep it all intact. So here now in verse 12 comes this both the motivation and the expectation. Look at the motivation. Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. Now those are two interesting concepts. We are not only looking for, but we are hastening the coming of the day of God. That is an interesting concept that Peter is raising here. You might ask, well, the coming of the day of the Lord has been set. We're told we don't know when it's going to be, but it will come in God's timing. And yet Peter here talks about us hastening the coming of the day of God. You see, the outcomes of God's purposes relate to the completion of his work of salvation. God will not roll back the curtains, draw the blinds, and close the windows and give up on this world until his purpose has been fulfilled. What is that purpose? That all who believe will be saved, will be drawn and will be brought into the fold and into the family. So, here we are told holiness is not only an expectation of the coming of Jesus, but it's a motivation to live in the light of his coming. And the more we do, then the more influence is spread into the world and others are brought to know it. Now, look at that first word in verse 12. The main theme of what will now come down to the end of the chapter, center around this first word. So, this becomes the motivation and the expectation of all that Peter will now say in terms of concluding his letter. All in that little word, looking. So, looking or look, becomes the word of motivation and expectation. And this, it's an interesting word. It literally means to eagerly await or to eagerly anticipate. That's the meaning of the word. Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. Just turn in your Bible to Luke chapter 3. Luke's Gospel and chapter 3. And we'll see where the word is used. Luke chapter 3 and the verse we want is verse 15. We're going to look at an interesting verse, God willing on Sunday morning, that really is the pivotal verse for that 16th chapter of Luke's gospel. And it relates to a bringing together of the old covenant and the new covenant. And it sets out what was believed about the afterlife in the Old Testament And then again, what was revealed in the New Testament. And here we have this kind of visual illustration of how this transition from the old to the new comes. We know that in this chapter, John the Baptist becomes a well-renowned preacher. And his main message centers around baptism. And if you look at verse 3, it is a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Now we could spend a lot of time looking at that expression because Baptism has often been misunderstood as being the means of salvation. But in reality, if you read that verse carefully, you will see that the emphasis is not on the baptism, but on the repentance. It's a baptism of repentance. That's what leads to salvation. Can a baby repent of their sin. It doesn't need an answer, does it? But here John the Baptist is preaching this. And you will see the message there in verse 4 and 5. And of course, he stirs up the people and they come out to hear this fiery preacher. Look what he calls them in verse 7, brood of vipers. What are What are vipers? They're little snakes. What is the devil? He's the serpent. So he is telling them in no uncertain times that you're off your father, the devil. In fact, that will come clearly through later in the Gospels. But with that exchange, The interest is developed and created and you'll see there that various groups have now come under the influence of his preaching. Look at verse 12. Tax collectors also came to be baptized and so on. Soldiers in verse 14. Now look at verse 15. Now, as the people were in expectation. That's the word that is translated looking in 2 Peter 3, 12. It's translated here as expectation. So that's what's built in to the word. And all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not. And then come over to Acts chapter 3 and you'll find the word again. Acts chapter 3. And Acts chapter 3 has to do with Peter and John. You remember going up to the temple. to pray and the crippled man asking or begging for alms was sitting outside the temple. Well, we look at verse 5. This is now when the The disabled man has been asking for alms. Verse 2, to ask alms from those who entered the temple. So seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. And fixing his eyes on him with John, Peter said, look at us. Look at us. So he gave them his attention. And here's the word again, expecting. Expecting to receive something from them. So he now has a motivation and an expectation. So when Peter said, look on us, he is thinking. I've hit the jackpot. I'm going to get loads of donations because remember that this was a requirement of the Jews. They were It was inscribed in their law that they give alms to the poor. It was a means of grace for them, a means of applying the teaching and complying with the teaching. And so the expectation was there. And much to his disappointment, he discovered that the blessings of God are not always physical. They are spiritual. And so Peter said, silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And here is the fascinating thing. What God did for him, went far beyond his motivation and his expectation. So now we go back to 2 Peter 3, and we read that verse again. Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. So here again the thought is, that knowing that the world is crumbling around us. Look what's happening in France. Look at the new government that's about to be formed. Tomorrow night, our time, Britain will be going to the polls. Look at the state of Britain. Look at America. In November, going to the parliament, where do we look to find a stable government? Is it not that every country of the world is in turmoil? And we're living in fear that someone is going to do something silly and the world will be thrown into utter chaos and confusion. So here is how we live in the midst of all of that. We are looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God because that will sort it all out. Not only countries, and down in verse 12, the second part of it, we read about the heavens being dissolved, being on fire and so on. And then verse 13, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth and which dwells righteousness. That's what we are motivated about. That's our expectation that one day soon Christ will end all of this confusion. that's in the world and bring his purpose to fruition. So the right motivation leads to a high degree of expectation, and that boils down to this one reality. What kind of people ought we to be in all manner of holy conduct and godliness? The answer is simple. We ought to be a people who are living in the light, of the soon return of Jesus. That's how we ought to live, as though we have that expectation that Christ could come at any moment. And therefore, we must be ready for His coming. Now, go over with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. And again, we'll just glance at some of these comments of Paul. The passage is from verse 1 down to verse 11. And this is really all about how we ought to live in the light of the soon return of Jesus. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. You can see there that Peter and Paul have been discussing the second coming of Jesus. They use exactly the same terms to describe his coming as a thief in the night. For when they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them as labour pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this day should overtake you as a thief. See, how will Christ come? As a thief in the night. That means that no one will anticipate his coming, expect him to come. But you, as believers, although you don't know when it's going to happen, It will not take you by surprise because this is your expectation. This is your motivation. You live every moment as though Christ could come at any moment. And therefore, when he comes as a thief, You will know and you will be able to respond to that. And here's the reason why, verse 5, you were all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober. See, there we have the holy conduct and godliness. Watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another just as you also are doing. Now, let's go back over to 2 Peter chapter 3. And look at verse 11. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? That little word manner is a very special word. It literally translates exotic. Out of this world. Have you ever considered yourself to be exotic or out of this world? Well, there's another thought that's embedded in this that you might connect with more easily and more readily. It means foreign. Foreign. So exotic, out of this world, foreign. What does that suggest to us? It suggests what we are in the light or in the eyes of the world. And it suggests what the world represents in our eyes. See, we are not of this world. We are exotic. We are out of this world. We are foreigners. The other word that the Bible uses is strangers. And why is that? Well, it's simply because, as Paul tells us, if you want to go over to Philippians chapter 3 and verse 20, Paul simply writes there, our citizenship is in heaven. So, this world is not where we belong. We belong in heaven and that becomes our motivation. The more we live a holy life, the more we are godly and like Christ, the sooner it will be that we'll be back home again. That is where we are heading. Now, look at Ephesians chapter 2. We look at this verse. Ephesians chapter 2, Paul makes another comment. Verse 19, Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners. but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. So what does that mean? What is Paul telling us here? Well, when you were in the world, you were not in the family or the household of God. You were a stranger to grace. But when you were converted, you were no longer a stranger or a foreigner, but a fellow citizen with the saints in a new country, in a new environment, and you are members of the household of God. So, that is how we are motivated. We're not of this world. We are looking for the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwells righteousness. Now, let me just finish up by taking you over to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 13. Now, I'm really looking forward, if the Lord hasn't come first, looking forward to getting into this 13th chapter of, sorry, the 11th chapter of Hebrews. It might take us a few weeks before we get there at the rate we're traveling on Sunday evenings. There's just so much in this chapter and so much that we miss because we're focusing on one thing and that's faith. And we sort of rush down through the chapter and we're picking out faith, faith, faith, faith, faith. We get to the end of it and we say to ourselves, now that was good. That was a great chapter on faith. But there's so much more that's hidden, as it were, in the folds of the chapter. I'll take you up into the early part of, let's look at the first part first. Just pick out as we go through how faith was seen to operate in the lives of these saints of God. Verse four, by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. Verse five, by faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death. Verse 7, By faith Noah being divinely warned of things not yet seen. Verse 8, By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. Verse 11, By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed and she bore a child when she was past the age. So here are all of these and there will be more added to the list. And if we were to ask what was the one thing that they all had in common, we would probably all agree faith. After all, that's what the chapter is about. So the one thing they had in common was faith. But let me take you over into verse 13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises. So yes, we're right. Faith did bring them together. It was the common denominator, but there's more. But having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, now notice, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. That is what brought them together in faith. They recognized that they were strangers and foreigners. And you'll see that particularly displayed in the life of Abraham, who was always looking for that city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. So how do we survive in these difficult times? We remember that we are strangers and foreigners. This is not our home. We are being prepared for heaven. How are we being prepared for heaven? What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conduct and godliness? That is how we are being prepared for heaven. So, what is the motivation? The imminent return of Christ. But the day of the Lord will come. One final thought. The exhortation of scripture is that we are different. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things are passed away, all things. have become new. But here is the secret to a successful witness. If we are different to the world, we stand out and people are attracted to us. But if we're not just different, but we become strange or odd. We don't attract, we repel. So the difference has to be in the two areas of godliness and holy conduct. And if we master that, then our motivation will direct us and our expectation will maintain the motivation. And we will live each day as though it is our last. So that becomes the concern of Peter. Then we'll come back to this, God willing, next Wednesday night. From verse 15 to the end of the chapter, verse 18, Peter sets out how we should live. we will endeavor to learn something from that, God willing, next week. Thank you for your attendance tonight. Thank you to those who have joined us in live stream. You are constantly in our thoughts and in our prayers, and we appreciate you fellowshipping with us around the Word of God in our Bible studies. And as we conclude the study tonight, we will be moving into a little prayer time And we would invite you to join us for that, even though you're not present. Why don't you take a moment to pray for us as we pray for you. So thank you for your company tonight and the fellowship of the saints in our Savior's name. Amen.