Peters Push to Persevere - inconsistent - many don t finish well - Peter wants us to finishes well!

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1 Peter 3:11-13 Page 1 Peters Push to Persevere - inconsistent - many don t finish well - Peter wants us to finishes well 2Pe 3:11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 2Pe 3:12 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? 2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Your world view dictates your life style. What you believe about our past, present, and future - will dictate the choices you make - and how you live your life. How you understand Where you come from, why you are here and where you are going, alters, affects, informs, shapes how you live, succeed, and fail, how you suffer, how you prevail. 1. Evolutionary view of history - we are basically good, getting better all the time, all it takes time, education, and scientific progress, and we will one day reach the goal of getting something that looks a little bit like heaven - on earth. Leads to pride - because those before you in time are more primitive, less evolved, so we know more, and know better. We think we are the greatest in history now. Simplified, naive, groundless philosophy - turn on your TV, watch the news, read the paper, read go to the news sites. - Doesn t look like anything is getting better. This view of history doesn t correspond with reality. 2. Cyclical view of history - not getting better, not making any progress, keeps going round and round - we just keep cycling through the same things over and over - reincarnation religions, live and die, come back and suffer, die, come back. great reward - nothingness. Circle of Life Fatalistic view of life- despair - no hope. We need to think biblically, not evolutionary or cyclical. 3. Chaotic view - come from chaos, random chance, we come from no one and no reason, no purpose, no greater good, no where to go - result is despair - elevation of suicide, massive depression - anti-depressants and anxiety medications. 4. Biblical View - God ruling over history, God at work in history, History begins with the creator who is uncaused and eternal, makes creation, made in a state that is declared to be very good, we humans who are the pinnacle of all creation - created in God s likeness, we sinned against God, we rebelled, we disobey, disregard, disown God, result is all of us are infected and affected by a nature, a propensity, proclivity toward sin. And it affects all creation, and we die and we suffer. Rather than abandon us, God entered into human History as the Godman Jesus Christ. The eternal God entered time, Spiritual God, took on flesh. The God who rules sovereignly over history, entered into history. He lived without sin, He died in our place, taking our sin upon himself, crucified, buried, and he rose again on the third day. He conquered sin and death, he ushered in an era where the Holy Spirit dwells in men, now He is seated on a throne in heaven, as sovereign Lord over all. One day He will sound the trumpet and dead in Christ will rise, and those who are His will be caught up in the air - while on earth 7 years of tribulation, we will be in heaven, then we will return with Jesus. he is coming again, and he is going to establish a new era that will be epic, millennial reign. then after

2 Peter 3:11-13 Page years, He s going to burn it all, and make a new heavens and new earth, and only the ones who repented of their sin and turned to Jesus for salvation. How you understand History, will cause you to live differently. 2Pe 3:11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, Since all these things will pass away and since you are entering the glorious eternal state, consider How astoundingly, how astonishingly excellent you ought to be. Ought = the idea of owing a debt to someone. The Living Bible conveys the idea: "And so since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives we should be living" How astoundingly excellent you ought to be In 1 Peter called us "those who reside as aliens" we are sojourners, visitors here for a short time, waiting for the culmination of our citizenship in heaven Heaven is our real home and we need to live accordingly. Holy Conduct is God's will for His children. Like Father, like son. Holy = means set apart, sanctified, Many people think being Holy is following a list of do s and don ts -this leads to moralism, legalism, religiosity - view God as the score keeper Much teaching about Holiness is on what you do and don t do. Not what Jesus has done for you, what Jesus can do in you, what Jesus will do through you, therefore it is void of relationship with Jesus - void of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit - void of new desires - God rules through control, fear, intimidation and threat. Religious people don t get Jesus Christ - religious people didn t think Jesus was Holy and they rejected Him. Doesn t mean we ignore God s wisdom in His word. Conduct = refers to how we conduct ourselves with a focus on our everyday behavior. The essence of Holy Conduct is living like Jesus - living a life in obedience, submission, compliance, to God. Particularly His revealed will in His written word. If you believe in Biblical history and future - this is what your lifestyle will be like. The key to Holy Conduct is Godliness. Godliness - literally means to worship well or good worship We don t kill time while we wait - we occupy, we fill our time with Holy Living, but to do that don t focus on Holiness, focus on Godliness. Worship - is not events, not a form of music, it doesn t just start and stop - it is not compartmentalized to activities that happen in church buildings.

3 Peter 3:11-13 Page 3 Many people think worship is an event that happens when we gather together - and it is, but it is more than that - it is also what we do when we scatter out into our homes, our schools, our workplaces, our community, the gym etc. Worship is all of life - every aspect of it Worship is everyone, everywhere all the time, regarding everything. Worship is an enormous category that encapsulates everything in the totality of our lives. We are made in the image of God - our hearts are designed to be in continuos worship. We were made by design to Worship of God. We are created in the image of God - we are made to mirror, reflect, display, the Glory of God. The Goodness of God to others and all creation. His love, grace, mercy, truthfulness, patience, compassion, justice, courage,. We unceasingly give ourselves away - to someone or something - give our heart - mind - strength - money - devotion - talent service - sacrifice - affection - emotion - it all goes to someone, or something.- everyone who has ever lived is a worshipper. Through sin we pervert our worship away from God and toward God s creation. We end up mirroring, reflecting, displaying, showing forth something or someone. Someone or something is what we are giving our lives too. We live for some cause, purpose, meaning, identity, security, significance. We either live to worship God, or we worship created things. Romans 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Those who worship God our creator can enjoy and steward created things. Those who worship created things, take good things and make them god things, they are by nature and definition idolaters. Under all of our sin, is idolatry. The answer to all sin, is to worship well. Worshipping well is Godliness. If you don t worship Jesus well you will be enslaved to your idol. Mat 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Commandments number 1 and 2- Exd 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me. Exd 20:4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; Exd 20:5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,

4 Peter 3:11-13 Page 4 An idol is not necessarily a bad thing, it is a good thing in the wrong place in your heart. A good thing made an ultimate thing, good thing, made a god thing, bad thing. One way to define sin is not just the doing of bad things, to miss the mark by making good things into ultimate things. It is seeking to establish a sense of self by making something else more central to your significance, purpose, and happiness than your relationship with Jesus. Our identity - as a Christian our identity is that I am made in the image of God, I am saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. I am kept secure in relation to God by His grace, God can t love me any more He can t love me any less. Peter told us on more than one occasion we are the Beloved ones. If your Identity who you are, what you do, where you are going is defined by something other than Jesus, that is missing the mark, that is sin. People choose idols to avoid emptiness, loneliness, to deal with guilt and fear - Jesus is more than sufficient to satisfy your needs. Idolatry is motivated by service - we want to do good - we want to fix culture, make a different, we want to help others. Idolaters don t serve people, they use them. Idolatry gives a sense of self - this person, this achievement, possession - it makes me who I am, it makes me unique, it makes me special. Pile of all your stuff - it going to burn - Jesus will be there - He is all you need. If being with Jesus is not a greater treasure, a deeper Joy, then your idols have your heart - he may not be the King of your life. Some people come to church looking for God to supply their idol worship. Once you stop worshipping created things, and start worshipping the creator, if you are using people for comfort, status, companionship then you can t love them, Love Jesus and you can actually start loving people instead of using people. You can t be generous with your stuff if you are an idolater. Worship Jesus you can be generous, because all your stuff, money, etc. it is all kindling. We Work, serve, give, as an act of worshipping Jesus. 2Pe 3:12 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? UBD Lesson Plans - Define life forward, live it backward - reverse engineer our life - know you are going to the King and His Kingdom. Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. The point of verse 11: everything is going to be burned up but the fruits of holiness. A life lived for the world will go naked into judgment; a life lived for Christ will be laden with eternal riches.

5 Peter 3:11-13 Page 5 The lesson is this: put your life under the spotlight of eternity; assess it from God's vantage point. And devote yourself to what will last How do we live, as Jesus continues to save souls and transform you, be patient, wait with great expectation. Are you continually looking eagerly for the return of your Lord? It will radically impact what you are living for Being like Jesus is what you want to do, get to, because I belong to Jesus. I am his and He is mine. 1 Cor 16:22 -O Lord Come or Maranatha - living constantly in desirous expectation. The purpose of prophetic truth is not speculation but motivation Hastening can have two meanings, both possible within the context. One meaning conveys the idea of doing something hurriedly and of causing something to happen by exercising special effort Hastening can also mean eagerly desiring that something will happen. THE COMING OF THE DAY OF GOD: Coming means not just the coming but conveys more of a sense of the manifest presence of God on this glorious day. i. We can also hasten the Lord's coming through evangelism. Paul said that God's prophetic focus on Israel will resume when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Romans 11:25). ii. We can also hasten the Lord's coming through prayer. Even as Daniel asked for a speedy fulfillment of prophecy regarding captive Israel (Daniel 9), we can also pray "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20). After it all burns - full redemption of all of God s people and creation. Look forward to the Kingdom of God, resurrection from the dead, the forgiveness of sins. the triumph over evil, removal of Satan and demons, the giving of joy, in the never ending happiness. The new creation will not have anything that we make, everything will have been created by Jesus. Everything material has the stamp of oblivion upon it. The things of which men boast, the things for which they live are passing things at best. To live for material things is to live for the temporary. Common sense tells us to turn from the tinsel and toys of this world and live in holiness and godliness. In light of the truth of the Day of God, we must make a choice of living for eternity rather than time, of emphasizing the spiritual rather than the material, of choosing the permanent over the passing.

6 Peter 3:11-13 Page 6 Where we are going? 2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. What promise? Isa 65:17 For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. Isa 65:18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. Rev 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. In focusing our lives on Jesus, love for the world - complain about what you lose, Long for Heaven - rejoice about what will come to pass. Remember that "the best is yet to come We have a glorious future. The heavens and earth will be of a new kind, unprecedented, they will be fresh" The new shall be fresh and glorious, with no trace of the ravages of sin Hallelujah Every trace of unrighteousness is forever purged by fire, everything will be made right O, weary pilgrim, have the embers of your first love grown cold? Drink deeply of Peter's exhortations and the Spirit will renew your mind and restore your passion for His kingdom and His glory.