Welcome to our midweek service of worship in our building here in Panmurefield Baptist Centre
Opening Scripture verses: Luke1:46-48:
And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is His name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
Opening praise:
Opening Prayer:
Lord we come with real joy into Your holy presence today and can do no better than to echo some of Mary’s amazing song of praise: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour… for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is His name.His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
We follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before us in the journey of Christian faith and as we enter another Advent season we do so with deep thankfulness to You for the first coming of Jesus in humility at Bethlehem. Yet we also come with a sense of expectancy for Jesus second coming in glory as the King of Kings and Lord of Lord. We come today confessing our sins and asking afresh for Your cleansing from sin and the fresh empowering of our lives by Your Holy Spirit so that we might bring more honour and glory to You in the way that we live in the coming days. Meet with us today as we gather for this brief service, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Bible Reading:
Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Saviour through your apostles.3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
II Peter 3:1-15
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 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. 10But 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.
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. 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. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him.
Intercessory prayer using II Peter 3:1-15:
Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Saviour through your apostles. Thank you Lord that we have not been left without a clear sense of direction for our lives. We thank you for the free access we have to Your Holy Word the Bible.
We are a blessed people, I also want to thank You today for….
Lord, we live in a deeply challenging world right now, but we are not alone. It was the same in all previous centuries. Peter wrote: Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
Lord, there were lots of people two thousand years ago who chose not to follow You. Therefore, we too will have our disappointments with some people we are witnessing to about our faith in You. However, we will persevere in praying for the lost. In particular, I want to pray today for …. to come to faith in You –even this Christmas would be my heart’s desire!
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. Thank You Lord for this challenge to holy Christ-like living; help me this week to grow in my character and conduct more like Jesus. Lord I need help with … at this time. I ask for You to work in my life in the mighty name of Jesus…
We also want to bring before You the following people who are unwell or who have been bereaved in the recent past…
We also want to bring before You these other needs… or particular personal needs ….
Thank You Lord for hearing and answering our prayers in Jesus’ name, Amen
Message: Active Patience II Peter 3:1-15
Introduction
As Christmas approaches I wonder: How patient are you when it comes to waiting? There is the chocolate test for some of us? How long does the bar or the box last? It is not really fair some of us manage so easily to space out our consumption of these chocolate treats, whereas others find it irresistible to consume another one and … They don’t make the boxes as large as they used to! I’m sure there used to be more in that brand box years ago!
What about Christmas decorations? If you had planned to put them up next weekend and your neighbours all did theirs a few days earlier, would there be a minor panic as you rushed to get started a day or two early? Or could you congratulate them on their colourful display without getting stressed that your decorations were still in their box in the garage!
Maybe it is Christmas shopping where your patience is tested? Apart from 2020 when we are greatly restricted in what we do, how do you approach shopping for Christmas? Do you spread it out over the year or is it a mad dash round the shops in the weeks before Christmas? Or is this year a mad dash around online websites? Do your family preparations have to be ‘perfect’ or is there a bit of room for flexibility? Some of us struggle if things don’t quite go to plan. We can get really stressed if others around us don’t conform to what we had expected to happen.
The issue here is concerning something much bigger than our personal Christmas celebrations. It is about getting a sense of perspective about our time in history and our personal tiny segment of time here on earth. Where does my life fit in to this bigger picture? What is the significance of this time in history? It is fine looking back two thousand years to celebrate the amazing events surrounding the birth of Jesus, but what difference should it make to my life now if I take the time to reflect on what happened then.
But the bigger picture that is too often forgotten is that we are living between the two comings of Jesus. There are a tiny number of Christians for whom the second coming of Jesus is their dominant conversation topic or the object of their thoughts, but for the vast majority of us we veer towards the other extreme of relegating it deep into our minds. We acknowledge it will happen sometime in the future, but because we have pressing things to attend to now in the present it can easily fade from view as our attention focuses on the challenges of the here and now.
For other people it has been so long since Jesus was on earth that they begin to doubt if Jesus actually will return in person physically to this earth. And what is more the wonderful picture described in the Bible of God’s new creation at the end of this age seems too good to be true, given how much of a mess humanity has made of the one planet God has given us to care for.
In II Peter 3, one of the last New Testament letters to be written, Peter turns to address the concerns of the people of that time in the second half of the first century AD on this topic. What does he have to say?
1. ‘Why are we waiting?’ (2 Peter 3:1-7)
(a)A firm foundation (II Peter 3:1-2) Dear friend, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Saviour through your apostles. Peter gives a simple reminder that we view the present through the lenses, of the Word of God and its promises and from the life and teaching of Jesus. We have a sure foundation on which to look at the world around us and to view the uncertain future before us. Or as Paul puts it in Ephesians 2:20: The Christian Church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.
When we look around our land, for example, the retail landscape will be so different when this virus is under control and we can move around freely as before. The profoundly sad news of the closure of the Arcadia Group of well-known shops and Debenhams this week, although not unexpected is a sign of the damage done to the economy during this pandemic, although competition with online traders was already a serious challenge for the shops on the high street. Each of us will have other examples to give here, but Peter’s point is that God does not change. He is here for us and He will deliver on His promises. We may be restricted in our services and church ministries just now, but God is on the throne and by His Holy Spirit very active in the world as He always will be until the end of the age.
(b) A fervent denial (II Peter 3:3-5)3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” He promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
It is now around three decades since Jesus went back to heaven. It is clear that many of the first Christian disciples had high expectations of Jesus coming back to earth within a relatively short space of time. Jesus had been very clear that a deadline or timescale would not be revealed to them; only God the Father knew how long it would be and the actual date. Jesus Himself had deliberately excluded Himself from knowledge of it (Mark 13:32: But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.)
In the light of these fervent denials by sceptics who were loudly proclaiming that it was not true that Jesus was coming back again, Peter sought to reassure other believers that this behaviour was totally expected. But the God who brought the world into being out of nothing (Genesis 1:1) would have no difficulty at all in planning the second coming of Jesus.
(c) A fair reminder (II Peter 3:6-7) 6By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
Peter, by way of evidence, not only points to the Creation of the world as evidence of God’s sovereign power, but he also references the worldwide flood of Noah’s day and warns that a final time of judgement is coming through which God’s world will be cleansed from the sin of humanity. God’s past interventions in history are a guarantee that His future plans will also take place.
Does this sound familiar to you? You might have heard sceptical comments about God or doubts about Jesus coming back from non-Christian friends, or even wondered about it yourself. Isn’t 2000 years a long time to wait for the return of Jesus? As if he anticipated that question Peter then addresses this point.
2. God is not slow He is patient (II Peter 3:8-9)
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. (II Peter 3:8-9)
We live in an ‘instant’ age when everything has to happen quickly. When we switch the television or computer or phone, or whatever device you care to name, we get frustrated if it doesn’t work quickly and be connected as we are expecting. However, living on ‘fast-forward’ as many of us do in the Western world is not the only way to live and not the way God chooses to work. His timescale is so much longer than ours. Moses in Psalm 90:1-2 and 4, had this to say of God several thousand years ago:
Lord, you have been our dwelling-place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God… 4 A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.
This psalm gives us a glimpse into the divine perspective on time. It is in the light of this knowledge that Peter responds to the concern of his readers that it is a long time since Jesus went back to heaven. It is only three decades, Peter might have said, which is nothing on the scales of time, let alone in comparison with eternity. Peter reminds us that there is a very different perspective with which to view the apparent delay in Jesus returning to earth. There are two key words to note:
(a)Patience In II Peter 3:9 he states: The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you… Imagine going on a dinner date in a beautiful location with a number of hours to spend in the company of your chosen companion. The dinner that has been carefully prepared is served and your eyes feast on the contents of the plate before you. How do you eat the food?
Apart from the obvious good manners with appropriate cutlery, the issue is this: do you wolf it down like a hungry dog or a stray cat finally getting a decent meal or do you savour the food and appreciate the smells and taste of that delicious food as well as enjoying the conversation at the table. I have a feeling that if you rushed the food down the other person might want to ask if you have another engagement that evening that was more pressing!
There is a place for taking your time. In the workplace many a craftsman or woman has spent hours shaping and moulding their creations into objects of beauty, a few of which will be selected to be observed by millions in national museums in later generations.
Here says Peter, God is patient. His plans for us and for His universe will come to pass. When Jesus asked His followers in their prayers to reflect on or even use these words: ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…’ (Matthew 6:10), it was because we are asking God to do what He has already planned from before the beginning of time. He knows it will happen. Where does that leave you and me? Do you feel like you rush from one thing to the next? Are you always looking for the fastest check-out queue at the supermarket? Do you get annoyed when your computer seems to take an age to download something, or your child dawdles over putting on their shoes? Maybe we need to learn that what might feel like slowness to us can, at the same time, be a lesson in godly patience.
(b)Repentance Beyond this, Peter tells us that God has a vital reason why He is holding back his return: Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b). Peter knew that the final return of Jesus would come with judgement over the earth. Jesus’ cross and resurrection mean that when we are by faith trusting in Him we have no fear of judgement. But entering into God’s Kingdom does require us to believe in Him and come in repentance. For this reason, God is patiently holding back the return of Christ, so that everyone on earth has the chance to respond to His gift of forgiveness and restoration. Have you taken this important step?
3. Cleansing Fire (II Peter 3:10)
Most seriously Peter explains why God requires repentance from our sins. He is a perfectly holy God and cannot allow anything or anyone sinful into His new perfect world beyond this life. In II Peter 3:10 he writes: 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 Jewish people heard the prophets speak of the ‘Day of the Lord’ in many messages about God’s judgement on human sinfulness. It was a solemn occasion when the wrongs of this world will be addressed. An example of this proclamation would be Malachi 3:1-3a where God the Father states:
‘I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the Lord Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;
God’s judgement is described as a fire that will refine the earth until only pure gold is left. So the picture Peter is painting here is of God’s final judgement burning up all that is unjust, impure, ungodly, laying bare the earth until the old “order” of things has been destroyed and the original intention of God has been restored for His creation.
We must be very careful not to speculate as to exactly how God’s created universe will be transformed because the Bible only gives us glimpses of what God has planned. But it is with the purpose of gifting to His followers the opportunity to live the life He desired for humanity the first time round. Old Testament prophets longed for that day to come. In Isaiah 65:17-18a the prophet reported God as declaring:
‘See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create. This vision was not lost in the New Testament, especially in Revelation 21:1-4: Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
In Revelation, the City of God comes down from heaven to earth, the old order of things has passed away and God promises to be with us in this restored world and universe forever. Our conversion to Christian faith is pictured by Paul in II Corinthians 5:17 using this dramatic language: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! What God can do in any one of His children, He plans to replicate in transformation of the entire universe! How amazing is that!
Surely this must inspire us to an active expectation of Jesus’ second coming!
4. Active Expectation (II Peter 3:11-15)
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. 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. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him.
When you are waiting for something, knowing what you are waiting for changes how you wait. A child waiting for a Christmas present has a different attitude to a child waiting for the dentist. You wait for your wedding day in a very different way to waiting for your car MOT.
We are not waiting for an eternity sitting on clouds, or an endless church service, or an infinite sermon. We are waiting for the restoration of heaven and earth, with every good thing made new and abundant life for all. Knowing what God will do when Jesus returns ought to change how we live today. Since this is our ultimate goal, Peter says, here is how we should live. We should live in ways which please God, which imitate Jesus, which work for the good of His creation, which build community and society, which seek justice and fairness. We should communicate the Kingdom of God in how we speak and live and so not only proclaim it, but even somehow ‘speed its coming’. Amen Come Lord Jesus!
Closing Song:
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father what a wonderful joy to know the amazing plans You have made for our future in eternity. What an incredible privilege to know that the best is yet to come for us as Your people, to enjoy You more fully and to experience more deeply all You have planned for us, we bring to You our heartfelt gratitude in the wonderful name of Jesus, Your Son our Saviour, Amen
The Benediction:
