Notes from a sermon on 20 November 2011
2 Peter 3 verses 1 – 9
Here in this verse the apostle Peter tells us something of the last days. “In the last days there will come scoffers” verse 3. Then he goes further – tells us what scoffers will be doing – ridiculing and undermining the great doctrine of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord is coming again one day for those who are part of the church. One day he will come to the air with the voice of the archangel, trump of God. The dead in Christ will rise first. Their bodies will rise to be reunited with the soul that has come with Christ. Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up in the air. They will ridicule this message, trying to put this message down. Surely God must have forgotten his promise. There are those who try to ridicule the word of God, robe us of the promise of God. Verse 9 we get a fourfold view of God dealing with the lost world, with lost sinners in particular. Verse 9 in response to the critics “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
The problem God accepts. God is accepting our problem, a problem that is universal. A man with leprosy came to Jesus and said “if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.” We have a problem inheritance claimed his life and soul. You and I are a perishing soul. God accepts that problem. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 13 “for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.” The moment born into this world lost in sin, had a nature that was perishing day by day. On one occasion certain people came to Jesus asked him a question. Tragedy in the area and much in their minds – talking about it still. People couldn’t understand why they had happened as the Lord was. On this particular occasion he was confronted with complaints, debates, questions. He challenged those asking the question the people put to death. Maybe these were terrible sinners. They thought men were working around a tower fell down 18 people fell in couldn’t’ understand why would God allow this to happen. Do you ever hear that today? Jesus turned to these men and said except ye repent ye shall also likewise perish. We have this problem – we are perishing. God accepted it from the very beginning. God who made first move in Garden of Eden. He called for Adam. He was hiding behind the tree. Why? Because for the first time realised sin had entered in, opened up that. Those realised they were naked because they knew this felt so embarrassed, sewed fig leaves together to hide their nakedness. God accepted the problem from the word go. God took animals took their skins and covered them. God could only cover them not themselves. God could do it. Sin makes us hide but God is seeking for us tonight. He sent our son into the world to seek and save that which are lost.
There’s the planning God has made. God has accepted man’s problem but he didn’t turn his back on it. God made a plan when God created this world. Created man gave him certain qualities raised him above the animal kingdom, he breathed into man and man became a living soul. He also gave him the ability to make decisions. God gave man on that particular day a free will, allowed him to exercise that free will. As the gospel goes forth seek to point you to Christ on the middle cross. You have got a free will, a choice to make the decision. The Holy Spirit speaks to your heart, you need a Saviour, shows you the need of your heart, brings you to that point and then stops. He allows you to exercise free will he has given. Satan gave Eve all sorts of promises – if you eat of this tree you will become as God. Eve exercised her will, reached forth and took the fruit and ate. Sin entered into the world. When it was offered to Adam he accepted it and took it and at of the fruit. God didn’t plan man’s sin in the Garden but he made provision for the remedy of their sin. Plan was Christ would come into the world, gave his life on the middle cross, shed his precious blood that he might be saved. We can see that plan materialised through out scripture. Exodus nation of earlier plague had been fulfilled Pharoah’s heart was hardened one more plague to go God told Moses the firstborn of Egypt some would die there is a remedy for sin take a lamb, its blood must be applied on the lintels of the doorposts when I see the blood there will be no harm coming on that home. The death of the lamb would redeem the firstborn of every family. See the plan of God fulfilled. When Abraham took his son and built his altar to God God asked him to take his son place him on the altar offer him as sacrifice. As he went out I am sure he went out with heavy heart. He built the altar took his son and placed him on the altar when all of a sudden God supplied the lamb caught in the thicket by the horns. Abraham was to take this lamb kill it put it on the altar instead of his son. God has taken your sin and mine placed it on the altar. The Lord Jesus died in your place and mine. This was God’s plan materialising. In the book of Leviticus Jewish family coming to the High Priest bringing lamb to the priest bringing it placing hand on its head lamb is killed and blood is shed confessing their sins transferring their sins to the lamb that lamb would die for them. When you come to the foot of the cross couldn’t understand it when we come to the Lord confessing our sins need him to come into our hearts and lives. Cannot understand it cannot imagine what happens as come to that place we realise he is taking our place. Only the lamb of God slain from the foundations of the world only he. That is God’s plan. That is the fourfold plan God made paln accepted he didn’t forsake it. Acts 17 the times of your ignorance God has winked at he has commanded all men to repent.
There is the passion that God reserves. Look at what God is saying. Not willing that any should perish. We can sit here consider tonight that God’s plan is for all to be saved. That is amazing. Somehow you think you are outside of God’s plan of salvation whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Him that cometh to me I will not cast out. Remember day of Calvary after beat him spat on him rejected him called him names. Had to carry his own cross to Golgotha. They nailed him to the cross, raised him up from the earth. Every joint in body would be pulled out of its position yet what did he say? Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing. Blinded by the God of this world. Even those men who beat the Lord punished him yet they could be forgiven – why – because of God’s plan of salvation. Such position in the heart of God not willing that any should perish. Remember the woman caught in the act of adultery. Leaders would have put her to death. Jesus said I don’t condemn you go and sin no more. Why – because she found mercy in the Lord. Remember the passion demonstrated in the parable of Jesus. Man made great feast sent out his servants invited everyone to come for all things were ready. Every appetite was catered for. It didn’t matter if had much or little or fussy – come now for things are now ready. What was the response? Luke 14 we have invited them but all began to make excuses. The master was grieved, let down. He said go quickly into the streets bring blind, maimed, halt. Still people turned their backs on him. The Lord when he gathered his disciples all around him sending them out into the world – go into all the world and preach the gospel in every quarter, area of the world, universal message for universal problem. Jesus saves to the uttermost.
The patience that God shows. Peter is answering a question here. Why has the Lord not come yet? The question has been asked. Has he forgot his promises, set it to one side? Peter says in verse 9 God is not slack, God is waiting for you to be saved. That was the answer. Maybe the Lord has delayed his coming tonight for one person – because you are not saved. If the Lord was to come tonight you would be lost and lost for all eternity. Maybe delayed because not saved he extends the invitation to you to come for all things are now ready. The exercise we make. Thank God he is patient he waits. Bible commentator tells story of a man who applied for a passport. You have to get photo taken. He did this but when the photo was handed to him he said “this is awful”. He asked the photographer could you do it up a bit ok I could sent it off but they didn’t accept it. They wanted the real photograph. We do that too. We want God to accept us. We try to do the best we can. Change all sorts of things. God just wants you to come just the way we are. Don’t make any more of it. Step out and accept Christ. He waits for you to come.
The problem God accepts. God is accepting our problem, a problem that is universal. A man with leprosy came to Jesus and said “if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.” We have a problem inheritance claimed his life and soul. You and I are a perishing soul. God accepts that problem. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 13 “for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.” The moment born into this world lost in sin, had a nature that was perishing day by day. On one occasion certain people came to Jesus asked him a question. Tragedy in the area and much in their minds – talking about it still. People couldn’t understand why they had happened as the Lord was. On this particular occasion he was confronted with complaints, debates, questions. He challenged those asking the question the people put to death. Maybe these were terrible sinners. They thought men were working around a tower fell down 18 people fell in couldn’t’ understand why would God allow this to happen. Do you ever hear that today? Jesus turned to these men and said except ye repent ye shall also likewise perish. We have this problem – we are perishing. God accepted it from the very beginning. God who made first move in Garden of Eden. He called for Adam. He was hiding behind the tree. Why? Because for the first time realised sin had entered in, opened up that. Those realised they were naked because they knew this felt so embarrassed, sewed fig leaves together to hide their nakedness. God accepted the problem from the word go. God took animals took their skins and covered them. God could only cover them not themselves. God could do it. Sin makes us hide but God is seeking for us tonight. He sent our son into the world to seek and save that which are lost.
There’s the planning God has made. God has accepted man’s problem but he didn’t turn his back on it. God made a plan when God created this world. Created man gave him certain qualities raised him above the animal kingdom, he breathed into man and man became a living soul. He also gave him the ability to make decisions. God gave man on that particular day a free will, allowed him to exercise that free will. As the gospel goes forth seek to point you to Christ on the middle cross. You have got a free will, a choice to make the decision. The Holy Spirit speaks to your heart, you need a Saviour, shows you the need of your heart, brings you to that point and then stops. He allows you to exercise free will he has given. Satan gave Eve all sorts of promises – if you eat of this tree you will become as God. Eve exercised her will, reached forth and took the fruit and ate. Sin entered into the world. When it was offered to Adam he accepted it and took it and at of the fruit. God didn’t plan man’s sin in the Garden but he made provision for the remedy of their sin. Plan was Christ would come into the world, gave his life on the middle cross, shed his precious blood that he might be saved. We can see that plan materialised through out scripture. Exodus nation of earlier plague had been fulfilled Pharoah’s heart was hardened one more plague to go God told Moses the firstborn of Egypt some would die there is a remedy for sin take a lamb, its blood must be applied on the lintels of the doorposts when I see the blood there will be no harm coming on that home. The death of the lamb would redeem the firstborn of every family. See the plan of God fulfilled. When Abraham took his son and built his altar to God God asked him to take his son place him on the altar offer him as sacrifice. As he went out I am sure he went out with heavy heart. He built the altar took his son and placed him on the altar when all of a sudden God supplied the lamb caught in the thicket by the horns. Abraham was to take this lamb kill it put it on the altar instead of his son. God has taken your sin and mine placed it on the altar. The Lord Jesus died in your place and mine. This was God’s plan materialising. In the book of Leviticus Jewish family coming to the High Priest bringing lamb to the priest bringing it placing hand on its head lamb is killed and blood is shed confessing their sins transferring their sins to the lamb that lamb would die for them. When you come to the foot of the cross couldn’t understand it when we come to the Lord confessing our sins need him to come into our hearts and lives. Cannot understand it cannot imagine what happens as come to that place we realise he is taking our place. Only the lamb of God slain from the foundations of the world only he. That is God’s plan. That is the fourfold plan God made paln accepted he didn’t forsake it. Acts 17 the times of your ignorance God has winked at he has commanded all men to repent.
There is the passion that God reserves. Look at what God is saying. Not willing that any should perish. We can sit here consider tonight that God’s plan is for all to be saved. That is amazing. Somehow you think you are outside of God’s plan of salvation whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Him that cometh to me I will not cast out. Remember day of Calvary after beat him spat on him rejected him called him names. Had to carry his own cross to Golgotha. They nailed him to the cross, raised him up from the earth. Every joint in body would be pulled out of its position yet what did he say? Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing. Blinded by the God of this world. Even those men who beat the Lord punished him yet they could be forgiven – why – because of God’s plan of salvation. Such position in the heart of God not willing that any should perish. Remember the woman caught in the act of adultery. Leaders would have put her to death. Jesus said I don’t condemn you go and sin no more. Why – because she found mercy in the Lord. Remember the passion demonstrated in the parable of Jesus. Man made great feast sent out his servants invited everyone to come for all things were ready. Every appetite was catered for. It didn’t matter if had much or little or fussy – come now for things are now ready. What was the response? Luke 14 we have invited them but all began to make excuses. The master was grieved, let down. He said go quickly into the streets bring blind, maimed, halt. Still people turned their backs on him. The Lord when he gathered his disciples all around him sending them out into the world – go into all the world and preach the gospel in every quarter, area of the world, universal message for universal problem. Jesus saves to the uttermost.
The patience that God shows. Peter is answering a question here. Why has the Lord not come yet? The question has been asked. Has he forgot his promises, set it to one side? Peter says in verse 9 God is not slack, God is waiting for you to be saved. That was the answer. Maybe the Lord has delayed his coming tonight for one person – because you are not saved. If the Lord was to come tonight you would be lost and lost for all eternity. Maybe delayed because not saved he extends the invitation to you to come for all things are now ready. The exercise we make. Thank God he is patient he waits. Bible commentator tells story of a man who applied for a passport. You have to get photo taken. He did this but when the photo was handed to him he said “this is awful”. He asked the photographer could you do it up a bit ok I could sent it off but they didn’t accept it. They wanted the real photograph. We do that too. We want God to accept us. We try to do the best we can. Change all sorts of things. God just wants you to come just the way we are. Don’t make any more of it. Step out and accept Christ. He waits for you to come.
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