2 Peter- Jesus is Coming!

Jesus is coming!

Question of the day: 

Good morning class.  I hope you have had a great week! 

Today we are looking at the first part of  2 Peter 3.  Next week we will finish 2 Peter and then the following week, August 29 start a new book!

These last few months diving into 1 and 2 Peter has been a real encouragement for me!  Beautiful messages reminding us of all that is important.  Peter has reminded us where our focus needs to be and today's lesson is no exception. 

READ: 2 Peter 3:1-10

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
7 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. 8 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. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies[b] will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

 This week I mentioned to someone that Covid fatigue is real! I'm not even talking about the actual virus and what it does to your body, but just the exhaustion of all that has happened as a result.  It makes work hard, and ministry hard, life hard, and I'm tired of hard! I'm tired.  As a result I want to just say, "Let's move on.... who cares anymore....we have to LIVE!"  It feels like it will never end.  It feels like this awful normal, that was supposed to be just a month or two is now NEVER going to end! 

Peter is reminding us that waiting fatigue is real and that it will be a struggle. 

What does he say he is stirring up?

Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. NIV

My dear friends, this is now the second time I’ve written to you, both letters reminders to hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention. THE MESSAGE

What is he saying here?
Why is it important to keep our minds on the prize, so to speak?

What are his words of caution? 

Why does he say that we need to remember?

What are the predictions of the Holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord?

Is this still important to remember?

Is knowing that their will be scoffers who doubt the return of Jesus just to make another sign of the end or is there another danger we need to be aware of?

As Seventh-day Adventists, are we proclaiming loud enough the message of His soon return? 

How can we do this in a new and relevant way?

Is it important?

Why?

I can remember believing that our message as SDA's was really about fear.  A warning.  Hurry so you won't be lost.  Is that right?  Is that the importance of our message?

Ellen White writes about her first vision this... "If they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the city, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and said the city was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage them by raising His glorious right arm, and from His arm came a light which waved over the advent band, and they shouted "Alleluia!" Others rashly denied the light behind them, and said that it was not God that had led them out so far. The light behind them went out, leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and lost sight of the mark and of Jesus, and fell off the path down into the dark and wicked world below."

What is the solution to keep from stumbling and to keep from being weary? 

What is Peter saying is the solution, or what they must remember?

We don't spend enough time thinking and talking about the soon coming of Jesus!  Somehow it seems we have missed our calling.  But it isn't so much about warning people that they need to hurry up and get holy because Jesus is coming but to let them know about Him, to turn their eyes toward Jesus and let them know it won't be long before we will be together with Him!

When a president of the United States comes to Charlotte, all I think about are traffic problems and a news story.  For someone who is a true follower of the visiting president, their presence in Charlotte is a big deal.  They will change up their schedule and do everything they can to even just get a glimpse of him.  

Who are we following?  Who are we keeping our eyes on?

Are we remembering that He cares for us?

Are we remembering that He is coming soon?

Are we remembering to ignore those who would tell us it is nothing more than a fairy tale?

It is easy to ignore when we KNOW Him to be true and we KNOW Him to be true by remembering, by recounting, by spending time with HIM!