Thanks be to God for the opportunity to post the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read the blog this week. I hope that you are all doing very well.
Over the course of the last several weeks, we have been in a series studying what the Lord has to say to us from the the book of II Peter. Last week, we examined the issues of eternal security, falling from grace and apostasy. Today, are focus is going to shift.
Starting in chapter 3, Peter is shifting his focus to the return of the Lord Jesus. We focused on this section of Scripture this summer when I went through the series on false teachings. I am not going to go really in depth on this section in the same way that I did in that message. However, I do want to point out a way in which this passage of Scripture is misused.
Let us just review the issue that Peter is addressing. Peter knew that there were people who were scoffing and mocking at the church because Jesus had not yet returned. We hear the same thing today. People want to deny the Second Coming of Jesus. The Bible is quite clear, and Peter in this passage makes it clear that the Lord Jesus will return one day in power and great glory. As Peter stated in the book of Acts, Jesus will come again and restore all things to the way that they existed before the fall of humanity as recorded in the book of Genesis.
One reason that Peter gives for the Lord delaying His coming is that the Lord is merciful. The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
There will come a day when the Lord will come. That will be a great and glorious day. On that day, all wars and strife will cease. Nation will not rise against nation. People will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Justice will roll across the world as the waters cover the see. Righteousness will reign, and evil will be defeated. What a great day that will be.
Unfortunately, this passage of Scripture is being misused by some. In this passage, Peter speaks about how heavens and the earth will be destroyed and renovated by fire. Many take this verse very literally believing that everything that exists now will be done away with. I have heard a number of ministers and Christians use these verses as a justification for not doing anything to help the environment. The statements I've heard go something like this. Well, the world is going to burn up anyway, so we don't need to save the planet. This is not the type of attitude that we are called to as Christians.
The first people in the Bible were given the task of taking care of the world that the Lord had made. It is still our duty to take care of God's creation. The Lord has appointed us as stewards of this earth. Those who follow Jesus should be the ones at the forefront of battling climate change and species extinction. We should be working to make this world a better place for the generations that will follow us. Why? In addition to being commanded to do this by God, we have absolutely no idea when the Lord will return. You often hear people predict when Jesus will return, but I guarantee you that they have no idea. Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour when He will return.
It may be today when Jesus comes back, or He may not return for another 2,000 years. We are to live our lives as if He could come back right now. More on that next week. However, we are also to follow the commands of the Lord and live in the way that He has called us so that those who come after us will have the type of world that is right and as good as it can be.
The Bible says that a righteous person leaves his children an inheritance. We aren't leaving the next generations a good inheritance if a great extinction of animals, birds and insects takes place. We aren't leaving a good inheritance if we leave a world with rising sea levels and rising temperatures.
Here is what I am saying. Don't use the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as some excuse to not take action to help the environment and animals. We must take action to do good and make this world the best that it can be.
The world will never be all that it should be until Jesus returns. But that doesn't mean that we can't work to combat injustice, poverty and threats to the global environment. Amen.
Prayer Requests And Other Matters
In prayer this week, I have a prayer request. I was injured at my part-time job this week. My foot is really hurting. Please pray that my foot improves. I am also concerned that they won't want me to come back to work, so I am asking that you pray that I will get more writing jobs. I am thankful that the Lord has blessed me with a good amount of writing work lately.
In other matters, I want us to thank the Lord for allowing Australia to get some much needed rain. Some of the fires have now been extinguished. Let us continue to pray that all of the fires will be brought under control.
Please pray for the people of Puerto Rico. They still need aid to help them recover from the earthquakes.
Continue to pray about the coronavirus situation. Pray that those who are sick will recover. Pray that the virus will stop spreading. Continue to pray about the Ebola situation in the Congo.
Right now, Syria really needs our prayers for peace. On Twitter, I follow an animal sanctuary in Syria. They are worried right now because of bombings and fighting in the area. Please pray that these people will be safe, and pray that Syria will finally have peace.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in Benin and Tajikistan. Pray that many will hear about the love and forgiveness of the Lord Jesus.
Next week, we will continue with our series in II Peter. I plan to post the sermon on Saturday. On Monday, I will post the verses. I hope to post a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment