One Day
02/18/2024
[Watch video here.]
There are a lot of 'big days' over the course of one's life. Graduating high school or college, getting married, the birth of a child - all big milestones. And then you have some everyday run of the mill days that somehow turn out to be rather big days...
Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019 - I didn't know it - but I had a heart attack. I drove myself to the ER, the EKG was normal so I went home and even celebrated the 4th of July at my brothers the next day. Friday July 5th, 2019, I passed out in another ER at Porter Hospital on a gurney in front of my wife. They didn't find a heartbeat and called a code blue - my second heart attack. While my wife was 4 months pregnant with our sixth child - I laid on a table and received three long stents. I'm good now - but that story could have ended very differently. That day had the potential to devastate my family. But thankfully, because of God's watch care - that day will fade into a long list of other days as time passes.
But there's another day that will never be forgotten. It's a day that hasn't happened yet - but will change everything forever! It's one of the most significant days of our existence and yet - there are those who somehow believe that it doesn't matter, and won't even happen. It's the day of...
I. Jesus' return
When Jesus rose from the dead and then ascended into Heaven, He promised that He would return one day. The Apostle Peter who served by Jesus' side and saw Jesus alive again with his own eyes wrote about ‘that day’ and people's misunderstandings about it. And I want to look at 'that one day' in the passage from... II Peter 3:3-10 (And we’re going to spend much of our time in II Peter 3 this morning…)
II Peter 3:3-10 (NIV)
First of 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 fathers 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 existed 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 ungodly men. (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. 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 in it will be laid bare.
Peter pointed out that people will be asking the big question...
A. Where is ‘that day’?
And some are. But most don't even think about it. In their minds, Jesus was just a good teacher who influenced a lot of people but doesn't really matter today. For millions of people - 'that day' isn't something they ever think about because they believe 'it's just some fairy tale' - there is no 'day' in which Jesus will return. For them, Jesus is dead and buried and life goes on as it has for ages.
And in response to the question as to 'when' that day will be, Peter reminded us, looking again in vs. 8-9 - a passage I've shared recently...
II Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)
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. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
There's something to think about here - and it doesn't fit completely in my brain - but there's something incredible here... The only place that time has any relevance is here in our existence on Earth. Once we leave this life, time is irrelevant. I’ve heard it said that, “Time is God’s way of not letting everything happen all at once.”
Remember - God is eternal. He has always been and always will be – regardless of our concept of time. With God there is no past or future - it's always the present, He transcends time. He is, as He referred to Himself in the book of Exodus, “I Am". God does not dwell in the past and He won't one day just appear in the future - God always is!
The same is true of 'God in the flesh', the person of Jesus….
B. Jesus always is
Now I know that may not be the most grammatically correct way to say it, but it is theologically sound. Jesus always is!
John 1:1-3 (NIV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. (3) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
That’s Jesus, the Word become flesh, God incarnate! What this is saying - before everything else was - Jesus was - Jesus is! Jesus was the creative force behind everything that was created!
But at one point in history, Jesus stepped into time. He became flesh and lived among us. Jesus became flesh and invaded time and space to be born in Bethlehem. Jesus willingly subjected Himself to the limitations and restrictions of humanity.
The first time Jesus came to earth, He came as a baby. The next time Jesus comes, He will be completely without the limitations of 'flesh and bone' and time! The first time Jesus came, He came to die so that we could live. The next time Jesus comes, He'll come so that we can claim eternal life with Him! Jesus came to us and became mortal so that we could go with Him and become immortal!
The Bible says about Jesus' return...
II. That day is a fact
Peter wrote that men are dead wrong when they say that things are just as they have always been. He also pointed out that many will deliberately ‘forget’ about the creation and the flood.
II Peter 3:5-6 (NIV)
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed 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.
That phrase, 'deliberately forget' - it's about an intentional rejection even when they know the truth. Peter reminded his readers that…
A. Many want to deny
...‘that day’. We know today that many in the science world have rejected any evidence of a 'worldwide flood'. - Maybe there was some localized flood in various ancient myths... But it just doesn't fit with their ideas of how the world came to be. And to them the notion of a guy building a giant boat and collecting two of every kind of animal is just nonsense. Most people, who don't believe in a Creator, believe that anyone who actually believes the 'silly story' of Noah's Ark is naive and childish. -
According to the passages we just read - Peter believed the story of Noah's Ark as a true historical account. If you read the Gospels, there's no denying that Jesus believed the creation story and the account of Noah's Ark. That's because Jesus was there when it all happened...
You may have heard of 'The Ark Encounter' in Williamstown, Kentucky. I know some of you here have actually visited that exhibit. It's a life sized replica of Noah's Ark built to the specifications spelled out in the Bible. But it's actually been criticized by many as unscientific and even 'dangerous' by some. Dangerous? Any of you who visited - did you think it was particularly ‘dangerous’…?
Here's what some see as the 'danger'. Demonstrating Biblical truth is a threat to their personally held views.
You see, if you reject The Creator - in order to get the results we see by scientific examination - if you deny the biblical account of the worldwide flood, you need millions of years to accomplish geologically what the flood did in less than a year. Contrary to popular science - the Bible actually teaches that the earth is thousands of years old - not millions. And I know that even many Christians are moving away from that belief..
For those who suggest that scientific observation proves that the earth is much older than the Bible teaches, I'd ask, "How old was Adam when God created him?" Technically he was a 'newborn', but he was a full grown adult. Of course many also reject that there was ever an actual 'Adam' as well despite what the Bible teaches. But God's ways don't have to make sense for them to be true. And I'll choose to side with Peter - and Jesus - over contemporary culture - even if it makes me sound foolish.
However, even if one disagrees with the idea of a worldwide flood and a literal view of creation, we know for certain that it's been less than 2,000 years since Jesus ascended to Heaven and left this earth with the promise to return. We can also be certain that…
B. Some want to stop
...‘that day’. - The book of Matthew records the temptations of Jesus by Satan following Jesus' baptism. In the final temptation of the three, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. Then he said...
Matthew 4:9 (NIV)
"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
You can believe that part of the temptation presented to Jesus was in the lie that here was an opportunity for Jesus to become king without going to the cross.
Satan may have tried to convince Jesus by suggesting that 30 years had already passed since He came to earth and yet where was He? He didn't have any wealth, He definitely wasn't popular with the religious leaders. And by worldly standards - He certainly wasn't headed for success. The only thing that Jesus had to look forward to... was the cross. But Jesus saw beyond the cross and put His confidence in the will of God. He was willing to trust God's purpose and God's timing. Thirty years was nothing compared to eternity.
Jesus knew 'one day' - His return to bring His faithful into eternity was coming! And He knew...
III. ‘That day’ will be BIG
And that's not really a big enough word to describe it! In fact, I don't think there is one! Peter wrote that not only will that day come, but, back to II Peter 3:10-12 (NIV)...
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 in it will be laid bare.
Then in the next verse he asks,
(11) Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?
And then he answers his own question when he says...
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.
The lesson here? - Be prepared. This world will be destroyed and there will be a new Heaven and a new earth! And all of those who have ever lived will move into eternity. Some will have eternal life and be eternally in the presence of God with all their needs met. Others will be eternally separated from God and have nothing but eternal frustration. If you haven’t figured it out yet, you want to be in the first group. ‘That day’ will be BIG - be ready! But the sad truth is - many won't be.
I want us to go back once again to verses 3 & 4...
II Peter 3:3-4 (NIV)
First of 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 fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."
According to this passage, this question will come from 'unbelievers', however, any of us who get caught up in 'following our own 'evil' desires' - any of us who neglect the calling we've been given - we can drift into that category too if we're not focused on Jesus.
These ‘scoffers’ that Peter wrote about were not just the people of his day, but rather people of the 'last days'. I don't know when Jesus will return, but does anyone doubt we are in the last days? And who knows how many generations to come will be living in these last days... This may be quite a long chapter, but this is the last chapter in human history on earth.
So What?
One day Jesus will return. Where do people like us stand with regard to ‘that day’? Do you anticipate each day with the hope of Jesus' return? Or, have we all become so caught up in this world and the things of this world, that Jesus' coming would almost be an inconvenience to our plans?
If you're paying attention at all - even in our 'Christian Nation', some people are now being fined and even jailed for taking a stand for Biblical values. It's not outright persecution like others are experiencing around the globe. But there are people who are being killed for sharing Jesus. That's not here yet - but the time for 'comfortable Christianity' that costs us nothing is coming to an end.
Many times we almost place our hopes and dreams in this world. We find reassurance that Jesus died for our sins, but we don't really get overly excited about sharing that news with others.
I can only speak for myself, but I know there have been times I've been 'guilty' of an attitude like that. . 'If I share Jesus or talk too loudly about what the Bible teaches - they'll just call me a nut and reject it anyway.' But what if they don't...? You didn't. You're here - right? Someone told you about Jesus and through the grace of God your eyes were opened to the truth.
Let's make it a point to start each new day with a word of praise and then ask God to use you, today, to share the Good News of Jesus' return! If we could start each day that way, it would go a long way in preparing us and our world for ‘that day’. Last verse...
II Peter 3:13 (NIV)
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.