Maximum Effort is Required - II Peter 3

As we look back over the past three months of Bible study regarding the preparedness that we should be making for the second coming of Christ we are made to tremble at the opposition that came against the early Christians. False teachers grew faster than those who were sincere followers, and one of their most successful false teachings had to do with the second coming of Christ. I was more fortunate than most young people since my parents believed in Christ and they believed that he would keep his promise and come again to receive those who chose to trust him for their salvation and proved it by following him. Neither of my parents finished high school but both knew the Bible as well or better than I. As I look back, I am most appreciative of the fact that they did not follow false teachers. When I was about fourteen to sixteen years old—I was sure they were nuts. [Here is a conversation between me and mom.]

Me: “Mom, the community dance will be over at the “Deweans” home next Saturday. Ken-I –go?” Mom. “No.” Me. “Why, cause all my friends er-goen.” Mom. “I don’t care who is…you ain’t.” Me. “Jest tell me why, please.” Mom. “I don’t have to tell you why…it is just because I said so.” Me. “Well, now mom, are you some kind of final authority? “No I aint.” Mom says, “But let me tell you something I do know…Ifin Jesus does come back next Saturday night…I don’t want to be at no country dance. And I shore don’t want my only son to be there…either.” Note: My biblical point is that just because my parents did not finish any kind of Bible school…they still KNEW THAT CHRIST WAS/IS COMING BACK. My parents knew that Christ would return and did not know when it might happen but that did not matter to them…they just wanted the family to be ready.

Do you want to know why so many do not believe that Christ is coming again? It has been promised for over 2000 years …and it hasn’t happened yet…so it probably won’t. Oh no, you had better believe that it will happen. Listen, my saintly friend. If you promise one of your children something miraculous is going to happen to them pretty soon, and then it doesn’t happen in the next few minutes…you are considered to be a counterfeit. I guess that parents have lost all authority when it comes to discipline in the family. There was a time [about 80 years ago] when all the parent had to say was—“because I said so.” And, you know, for some reason I found out [the hard way sometimes] that if they said so…it really was so.

Dear class mates, sometimes the proof of true and complete faith can be expressed so clearly with a simple statement. Think about this for a moment. Every phase of history since the life of Christ on earth has been marred by some group that refused to believe in a positive fact about God and his Son. Peter told us about the group that did not believe in the second coming of Christ and they were called false teachers that were teaching others the wrong way also. However strong the false movement against Christ were, there was always the small remnant {like my parents} that found the true way and believed.

Look at this. Stick with me. I will finally make myself clear. I know that they believed in the second coming, because there were places that they would have like to go, and things they would have liked to do—but they did not want the “returning Christ” to find them there…doing that. Ok...here it comes…I know because I am wearing the same shoe. {There are some places I would like to go. There are some things that I would like to do. And. These places and things would probably not cause me to wind up in hell…but I abstain because I believe Christ is returning soon, and I do not want him to find me sitting there doing that. This is a case where we let our actions speak louder than our words.

We have all heard that actions speak louder than words. Oh, that is so true. But, what this usually means is that we hear people talking about doing the right thing, and then when they know their neighbor is not looking they do as they please. It works both ways…and the final result is the proof of a man’s love, integrity and dependability.

I admire Peter. Peter is one of my favorite disciples. Know why? He did some things that even make me look pretty good. I like that. If you were honest you would admit that you have just a little bit of the same kind of pride. Then I am glad he considers me his dear friend. He meant to include you too. In chapter 3 he included us as his friends…he told us that he had written us two letters and both were to help us stimulate our wholesome thinking. Peter recommends the writings of the other apostles and emphasizes that all apostles are only relaying to us what Christ would have us know. In essence, Peter tells us to listen to him and the other apostles who have given us the truth and that we should use their truth to stimulate our wholesome [right] thinking.

He told us about the scoffers that would come and use whatever means to keep God’s people confused. They will be followers of their own evil desires. Out of their teachings will come statements that disapprove God…and prove that he is a fake? They will remind all that the promise of the second return has not happened and indicate that it probably will never happen.

The statement given here by Peter is one of my favorite statements in the Bible. It came at a time of need and it pertains to every person that ever has a wonderment that crosses their mind…causing them to have doubts and sometime fears.

He said; “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 promises, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Some in our class have already been around four-score and more years and have been told since youth that many things happening each day are signs that are pointing to the immediate return of the Lord. Children have a difficult time waiting for the next Christmas and it has never been more than one year off. Children of God sometimes wonder…and are often skeptical about the statement that Christ will “soon” return. How soon is soon? No one knows, but Peter helped us to understand that if we should find out that Christ will definitely return within at least ten days—that could seem like 10,000 years to the human race [ten-thousand years].

It is important for you to remember that most men live 100 years or less—and so this means that for each one of us…God will be coming back to claim his own in less than a hundred years. Christ walked the dusty roads of his homeland and warned for three years that he would die. arise, ascend, and return again. We are still waiting for this great day, and Peter warns us that it is close at hand.

It is graduation time all across America…and the Lord didn’t leave Juanita and me out. Our last “Grand” Cassie Bolding, will be graduating from Germantown High School in Tennessee this week-end, and we will be attending her graduation. Lord willing, I will be back in class with you next Sunday.