Living with Hope and Urgency in the Last Days

Sermon Summary

In the passage from 2 Peter, we are reminded of the importance of understanding the times we live in, particularly the "last days" as described in the Bible. These last days refer to the period between Christ's first and second coming. It's crucial not to be unsettled by scoffers or those who doubt the promises of God. We must remember that God's timing is not like ours; He operates outside our temporal constraints. This understanding should lead us to live with patience and trust in His divine plan.

God's perceived slowness in fulfilling His promises is not due to negligence but is purposeful. He desires that none should perish but that all should come to repentance. This patience is an expression of His love and mercy, giving more people the opportunity to turn to Him. As believers, we should be grateful for this patience, as it allows us more time to share the gospel with others.

The day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night, bringing an end to the current world order. This impending reality should not lead us to speculate about the timing but should prompt us to consider the kind of lives we are leading. We are called to live holy and godly lives, reflecting our anticipation of God's return. Our focus should be on our character and conduct, not on predicting the end times.

The hope of a new heaven and a new earth is a central theme in the biblical narrative. This future reality is not an ethereal, disembodied existence but a renewed creation where righteousness dwells. It challenges the common misconceptions of heaven as a distant, non-physical realm. Instead, it is a tangible, restored world where God's presence is fully realized.

Ultimately, our anticipation of Christ's return should motivate us to live with urgency and compassion, sharing the gospel with those who do not yet know Him. Our lives should be marked by holiness and a zeal for God's kingdom, demonstrating our genuine hope in the promises of God.

Key Takeaways

1. Understanding the Last Days: The last days refer to the period between Christ's first and second coming. It's essential to recognize that God's timing is different from ours, and His promises will be fulfilled in His perfect time. This understanding should lead us to live with patience and trust in His divine plan. [02:04]
2. God's Purposeful Patience: God's delay in fulfilling His promises is not due to negligence but is purposeful. He desires that none should perish but that all should come to repentance. This patience is an expression of His love and mercy, giving more people the opportunity to turn to Him. [05:13]
3. Living in Anticipation: The day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. This reality should prompt us to consider the kind of lives we are leading. We are called to live holy and godly lives, reflecting our anticipation of God's return. [10:01]
4. Hope in a New Creation: The biblical hope is not an ethereal, disembodied existence but a renewed creation where righteousness dwells. This challenges common misconceptions of heaven and emphasizes a tangible, restored world where God's presence is fully realized. [17:28]
5. Urgency in Sharing the Gospel: Our anticipation of Christ's return should motivate us to live with urgency and compassion, sharing the gospel with those who do not yet know Him. Our lives should be marked by holiness and a zeal for God's kingdom, demonstrating our genuine hope in the promises of God. [12:37]
** [12:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:08] - Understanding the Last Days
[02:30] - God's Timing and Patience
[04:00] - Purposeful Slowness
[05:00] - God's Desire for Repentance
[06:21] - The Day of the Lord
[07:17] - The Good, the Bad, the New, the Perfect
[09:22] - Living Holy and Godly Lives
[10:55] - Compassion for the Lost
[12:07] - Awaiting with All Our Hearts
[13:18] - Speeding His Coming
[14:06] - Destruction and Renewal
[16:24] - A New Heaven and a New Earth
[18:39] - Challenging Misconceptions of Heaven
[20:14] - Trusting in God's Promise

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

2 Peter 3:3-13
1 Timothy 2:3-4
Romans 8:18-25

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Observation Questions:

What does Peter mean by the "last days" in 2 Peter 3:3-4, and how does this relate to the period between Christ's first and second coming? [02:04]
How does Peter describe God's perception of time compared to ours in 2 Peter 3:8-9? [02:30]
According to 2 Peter 3:10, how will the "day of the Lord" come, and what will happen to the current world order? [06:38]
What is the significance of the new heaven and new earth as described in 2 Peter 3:13 and Romans 8:21? [17:28]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does understanding God's different perception of time affect a believer's patience and trust in His promises? [02:30]
In what ways does God's purposeful patience, as described in 2 Peter 3:9 and 1 Timothy 2:3-4, reflect His love and mercy? [05:13]
How should the unexpected nature of the "day of the Lord" influence the way believers live their daily lives? [10:01]
What misconceptions about heaven are challenged by the biblical hope of a new creation, and how does this affect a believer's anticipation of the future? [17:28]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on a time when you were impatient with God's timing. How can you remind yourself of His perfect timing in future situations? [02:30]
Consider someone in your life who has not yet come to repentance. How can you share the gospel with them in a way that reflects God's love and patience? [05:13]
What specific changes can you make in your life to live more holy and godly, in anticipation of Christ's return? [10:01]
How does the hope of a new heaven and a new earth change your perspective on current challenges and struggles? [17:28]
Identify one area in your life where you can demonstrate urgency and compassion in sharing the gospel. What steps will you take this week to act on this? [12:37]
Think about a common misconception you had about heaven. How does the biblical view of a renewed creation inspire you to live differently now? [17:28]
How can you cultivate a lifestyle that reflects a genuine hope in God's promises, especially in your interactions with others? [12:37]

Sermon Clips

I don't want you to be unsettled by the existence of scoffers, first of all he says you need to understand that in the last days, and of course Peter's reference to the last days can be understood not only from here but also from what he said uh post Pentecost you remember when the people came and they said it looks as though folks in Jerusalem have been up very early in the morning drinking alcohol because there is a great hullabaloo going on in Jerusalem. [00:00:54]

God is not working on our clock, we hope for things to happen in our lifetime, and if they don't happen in our lifetime three score years and ten perhaps a little bit more if you if you stay around for longer if it doesn't happen in our lifetime then we say to ourselves well you know this is no good at all, Peter says well I don't want you to forget the fact that God is not working on our clock. [00:02:33]

His slowness is a purposeful slowness, he has an Express design in View and that is why he is Jesus has not come back yet, he is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance, remember Paul says something very similar to this a disturbing verse for some of us, first Timothy Chapter 2 and verses 3 and 4 this is good and pleases God our savior who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. [00:04:32]

The day of the Lord will come like a thief, there's going to be a once for all end to our space-time home, it's really Beyond description it's beyond imagination it's attempted out there in verse 9 uh verse 10 sorry the heavens will disappear with a roar the elements will be destroyed by fire the Earth and everything in it will be laid bare, so just a description of the destruction of the cosmos as we know it the laying bed of the Earth. [00:06:28]

The world that God made was absolutely perfect pristine pure good and wonderful and he communed with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day and fellowship between God and man was absolutely unmarred and unstained and Unbroken however sin enters into the world as man turns his back on God and exercises his Free Will and goes his own way and so Badness then becomes the pervasive element within the framework of man. [00:07:15]

Since everything will be destroyed, he doesn't say you better figure out the time frame on this, he says you better figure out the kind of person you ought to be, this I think for me in terms of eschatology is the great kicker in other words the issue of the last things that the compelling issue in any consideration of what happens at the end of the world when God wraps things up. [00:09:10]

What kind of people are you to be well he says let me tell you you ought to be the kind of people who are living holy and godly lives, and you're indicating the fact that you have a forward look you're looking forward to the day of God, interesting phrase isn't it to the day of God, it doesn't say you're looking forward to the Rapture he says you're looking forward to the day of God what is the day of God. [00:09:57]

Since this is the case he says when an individual understands this about the destruction of the cosmos then surely it will create compassion in our hearts for those who do not believe and if we're genuinely interested in moving towards the day of God then our friends and our loved ones will know that we are not by our ability to articulate a view of the end times but by our Lifestyle by our Holiness by our godliness by our Zeal for the things of Jesus. [00:10:42]

The quantifier as Augustine said regarding those who love the coming of the Lord is not those who affirm that it is very close nor is it amongst those who determine that it is far in the distance but it is to be found in those who wither it be near or far awaited with all their hearts and how will you know that you're awaiting it with all your heart it will stir you concerning the loss of your loved ones and your friends who do not know Christ. [00:12:07]

Perhaps by living in its light, if sin causes a delay, in other words you're not slow as some people count slowness but he is delaying in order that those who remain in their sin may be repentant well if sin causes it to slow up maybe living in the light causes it to speed up, maybe we can speed it up by praying for his kingdom to come your kingdom come Lord Jesus, Maranatha. [00:13:14]

The passage just quoted Romans 8 says the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay in fact the climactic description of that Kingdom found in the final pages of the Bible speaks not of going to heaven at all but of Heaven coming down to earth and transforming everything then I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven on the first Earth had passed away and I saw the holy city the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God prepared as a bright beautifully dressed for her husband. [00:17:28]

It turns out that the biblical Kingdom Come is not an ethereal place of clouds and ghosts but a tangible place of real existence it is a new creation whether or not we will gain a sick sense I have no idea but I think we can count on keeping the other five senses, this is a future I can get excited about it is a life in the fullest sense of the word a reality in which the moral and physical tensions of our current world will be resolved through an extraordinary Act of divine Recreation. [00:19:39]

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Living with Hope and Urgency in the Last Days

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

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Living with Hope and Urgency in the Last Days

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