Blessing of waiting (2 Peter 3: 8-13)

Blessing of waiting (2 Peter 3: 8-13)

 

 ⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^[a]

¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.^[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³ But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

 

Intro)

1. one of rich lady went to watch movie, but she left her diamond necklace in Movie Theater by accident. Two days later she finally noticed it and called the Theater and asked about lost diamond necklace. Worker told her to wait on the line so he can go check it. Worker went to where she set and found a diamond necklace. Worker went back to the phone, but rich lady hung off the phone. Worker waited for days and days, but she never called again, and rich lady never got the necklace back, because of she didn’t have patience to wait few more minutes.

 

  

 

2. Faithful people in the bible are people who succeed in waiting such as Abraham. The promise that God gave him that he will have his future generation like sand in the beach and stars in the sky was told that would happen when he turn 75, but at Abraham’s age of 100 he had a son Isaac.

 

Jacob stole his brother’s blessing and on the way to running away he met God at Bethel. God told him he will receive big blessing and come back home. Jacob waited that day which took 20 years. 

 

Noah was amazing person. God told Noah that he will destroy the world with rain so asked Noah to make his ark. After God told him 120 years passed and his promise was fulfilled. Noah had a great faith.

 

Church season for now is ‘Advent’. Advent is where Christian waits for Christ to come back. AD 300 we kept Advent. Advent starts 4 weeks before Christmas and until Christmas.  After 12^th century we stopped waiting Jesus who gave up his power of God and as human, but now we wait Jesus with power.

 

In today’s text Saint Peter says ‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

The key point of today’s text is ¹² as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. Then, what is God’s day? Let’s take a look in three ways.

 

Body)

 

1. The day Jesus comes back second time will be God’s day.

That day will be new sky and land will be connected. The day human rules will end. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. This means it will happen without notifying.

So we have to be prepared for final judgment day like restaurant that is always ready to serve.

 

 

 

1. The day our prayers comes true is God’s day.

 

One poor father worked in construction site was working as he gets prejudice by superior workers.

He’s dream was supporting his son who goes to Seoul law school until he graduate and become a judge one day. one day his supervisor accused him for something that he didn’t do. Next day he posted something on his truck which said ‘My Son goes to law school and he will be Judge and will be his father.’ The day his son becomes Judge it will be father’s day.

 

 

God is our father and we are his children. God give us dream and make us work, so when our wishes come true will be his day as well.

 

Philippians1:6 says  ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus, Philippians 2:13  ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. God’s children’s wish is Jesus’ second coming and fair rules and true peace. This land there is out raging violence, unfairness, and war, but the day Jesus comes back it will be the day our prayers will be answered.

 

 

  C) Church’s dream comes true will be God’s day

 

Stephen Hawking genius Physicist at the Oxford University debate recently said ‘Our human race will be able to live in this earth about thousand years, so we need to find other planet to live in.’ He does not know about bible, but said something what bible is saying. However, God said believe in Jesus not run away out in space. If we keep our faith to God, then when final day comes he will pull us out with his power and put us into his heaven.

 

Saint Paul said like this in 1 Thessalonians 4:13~17 ¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

And Revelation 1:7 says ⁷ Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

 Let’s end the sermon with story in Talmud.

Abraham was at front of his house, and he saw a guy passing his house. The walker seemed very tired, so Abraham let him come in his house and fed him. Abraham offered him bread and milk. The stranger started eating, so Abraham asked ‘you do not pray to God before you eat?’ The stranger replied ‘I’m Persian we do not know God, but we worship fire.’ Abraham spread God’s word to the Stranger. A bit later they had disagreement, which fall into argument. Abraham got mad and started yelling at the stranger and told him that he does not deserve to stay in his house and kicked him out. When Abraham was looking at the stranger leaving an angel came by and said “Oh! Abraham, God waited 50 years for him to meet you, but you couldn’t wait an hour.” Abraham felt shamed, so after this he learned patience.

 

 

Con)

 

We have to wait although world brings disappointment, and lies we can’t give up. We have to believe in Jesus’ return and do God’s work until he comes back with patience. Let us pray.

 

120416 by Ik sun, Ahn