Sermon - Advent Midweek 3, 2023 - 2 Peter 3

Judgment Day Georg Rieder, 1500's

Living in view of eternity.

1. The marvelous day of the end of this world is coming, according to God’s merciful timing.

2. We therefore ought to live in view of life in the new heavens and new earth.

“Are we there yet?” Came the question out of the back of the car on one of our recent trips. To which was replied from the front of the car: “We haven’t been in the car for two minutes nor even made it out of town yet, so no, we’re not there yet.” Given that children are so young, they have a very short perspective of time, so impatience is understandable. But it’s not just little children wondering if we’re there yet. As a pastor in the 21st century, my ministry is spent less with Christians in their early years and more with Christians in their last years. A common sentiment I hear is: I’m ready to die any time, God can take me whenever, but He sure is taking His sweet time, I don’t know why He’s so slow! It’s really the same question asked by little children: “Are we there yet?”

Many Christians wonder the same thing, especially given that Jesus said: “Behold, I am coming soon!” The trouble is Jesus made that promise about 2,000 years ago! Sure is a strange use of the word soon, we say. “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Make no mistake, the marvelous day of the end of this world is coming, according to God’s merciful timing.

God has a different perspective of time than we do. We see just a little section of time, divorced from all of the other sections of time. God however is able to see all of the sections of time together. To give an analogy, it’s like this: If time were a tree, we only get to see the little block of wood cut from the tree, whereas God can see the tree in its entirety from top to bottom. This doesn’t mean God can’t perceive time or understand it, it just means that He transcends time. He does enter into time, such as when He created the world in six days and walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, or when Jesus was born in time and lived a chronological life from one day to the next. But it also means that His power isn’t limited by time. God can use time in order that He can accomplish things over the course of a thousand years which we can’t even comprehend because we’re so limited by time. Additionally, God can use time in order to accomplish something that we might think would take thousands of years and do it in just a day. Jesus’ death on the cross is one such example: What Jesus did in one day has an impact across all of time. Adam and Eve are saved by Jesus’ death, just as much as you and I are saved by Jesus’ death. 

With that in mind, Jesus coming back soon takes on an entirely different dimension. We need not question Jesus’ promise to return, nor think that He’s forgotten us. His word is sure and He will keep His promise. The great and awesome day of the Lord will come soon. In the past God judged the world with a great deluge of water, while rescuing Noah and his family aboard the ark. In concluding that judgment day God promised He would never again judge the world with water, which is why we have the rainbow in the sky to remind us of God’s promise.

“But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” When Jesus returns He won’t judge this world with water, but with fire. “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” This world and all this creation is groaning under the strain of sin, and all of it will be burned up and consumed by fire on the last day. If this creation were on the stock market exchange, you better sell your shares or short it, because its high valuation is going to plummet.

“The heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” This world is going to be burned up. However, for us Christians, according to God’s promise we are waiting for the new heavens and the new earth, a creation ruled by and filled with Christ’s righteousness won for us on calvary. The burning up of this world is not something for us to mourn over, because this is precisely what Jesus sacrificed Himself to rescue us from! Jesus’ atoning death is to make us victors over this sinful world and usher us into His everlasting Kingdom.

We therefore ought to live in view of life in the new heavens and new earth. “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God… Beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” Our life in this world and the decisions we make in this life always ought to be made with respect to the new heavens and the new earth, and with the understanding that this world is going to be burned up. The only things that won’t be burned up with this world, that will endure, are the people. When Christ returns the faithful Christians will be taken into the new heavens and the new earth, and the unbelievers will be sent to hell.

Let us therefore live in view of eternity! Don’t invest everything into this world, instead invest everything in this world for the sake of the coming kingdom. If you want to think of it like stewardship, then use your time, talents, and treasures, your entire life, with eternity in mind. Ask questions like: How can I order my life so that myself, my family, and my neighbors, even 6 or 7 generations later, may live in the new heavens and the new earth? Because Christ is coming soon, the present sorrows will be ended, and life in the new earth will commence. Therefore may you, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”