We've been exploring these letters from Peter.
He was Jesus' disciple, and he was a leader of the early church.
And last Sunday, we heard from Steve about Peter's cowardly denial of the Lord Jesus Christ,
denying Jesus three times.
And I wanted to share how Luke records that moment in the Gospel of Luke.
Jesus says,
Simon, Simon, that's Peter's original name.
Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.
But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.
And when you have turned back, strengthen the brothers.
Jesus graciously restored Peter as a friend and as a disciple.
And then later, Peter is said to have died defending the faith that he once denied.
But in that verse, there's a word in Greek there in verse 32,
which is translated for us as strengthen.
Strengthen your brothers.
That's what Jesus would have Peter do when he is restored.
And so at the end of this letter to Peter, in verse 17, there's that same Greek word.
Verse 17 says,
Peter's hope in his letters for us, for his readers,
is that we would receive that same secure position that Jesus promised him.
So we would not fall from our strength in Jesus.
As Jesus upheld Peter,
Jesus will uphold us
by his word, promise, and patient grace.
It is as if Peter wants to get this big rock and wedge it under us.
That's what this chapter is.
And this is the rock.
The day of the Lord is coming.
There really is a new future that Jesus offers us.
And for Peter, it's foundational.
Jesus is coming back.
Steve called it judgment day.
Chatswood calls it the end of the world.
We try not to think about it too much.
But we're going to spend our time right now looking at three things.
What is the new future?
Is the new future good?
And what does it mean to live in light of the new future?
Last week, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus.
It's great every year, but it's true every day.
It is still true today.
A dead man walked out of a tomb.
After Jesus appeared to many, his disciples, and even to Peter, who had disowned him,
the risen Lord Jesus did something amazing.
He went home.
Jesus ascended upward and out of view into heaven,
where he sits enthroned at the right hand of God the Father.
And before he left, Jesus promised that he would come back.
And in verse 10 of our chapter today, keep that open in front of you,
Peter calls that day, when Jesus comes back, the day of the Lord.
Now, have you ever been to a really good birthday party?
Yeah?
Remember one recently?
Well, the reason why those birthday parties are good, or when they're good,
is when the birthday girl or birthday boy, no matter how old,
is the focus of everyone's attention.
Everyone treats them differently.
People say what they mean about how they love that person.
They say it out loud.
They say it with gifts.
They say it in cards.
They say it and make that person the point of that special day.
It's their day.
Well, when Peter talks about the end of the world,
he calls it the day of the Lord on purpose,
because it's our Lord Jesus' day.
Scientists say that there's this big crush coming.
You heard of the Big Bang?
The big crush is apparently coming.
In 100 million years, everything's going to fall in on itself,
and there will just be kind of a messed up, destroyed nothingness left.
There's no hope in that.
But Christians believe that our world will end when our Saviour Jesus comes back.
He will rule.
He will judge righteously.
And he will reorder new heavens and a new earth, new universe.
Jesus is the hope that Christians hold to for when the world ends.
It will not be this hopeless, empty crush of nothing.
The end of the world is the day of the Lord.
Peter's confidence that the day of the Lord is coming
is in verse 5 of our passage today,
where Peter remembers that the world was created with God's words.
And then in verse 7 he says,
If God can create with words,
Peter says we can trust Jesus' words when he says he will come back,
and that he will speak an end to our day
and utter in this new existence of our new future.
It's not Jesus' birthday,
but it's in every way.
More intense, more special, more holy than we can ever imagine,
and none of us are going to miss an invitation.
Every human, living or dead,
will see Jesus' return.
And we'll declare him as Lord on that day,
which we declared from Philippians 2 this morning.
There will be an undeniable revealing
of the end of our lordship of our lives
and our dependence on the world that we knew.
Here's what I mean.
Your life is like a TV show.
Anyone watch TV here?
The best show ever is on,
and you're the star.
That's what the world tells us.
You are the actor,
the director,
and the writer,
and the main character,
all as one.
Isn't that amazing?
It's your show.
Your way.
That's what the world says your life is.
But on the day of the lord,
we lose our starring role.
Our screen time stops.
The set gets shut down.
And it's burnt.
Tim Keller says
that unless,
if Jesus is lord at all,
he must be lord of all.
For on the day of the lord,
Jesus will rightfully take our place
in the role of our lives.
And he will,
we will not be able to deny
that he deserves it.
For he is our creator
and our judge
in one.
And we don't know
when the day of the lord
will come.
It's on no calendar.
No one's got a right to guess.
Even Jesus himself,
in Matthew 24, 36,
you can look it up,
even Jesus himself
did not know
when it would be.
Only the father knows.
Peter is writing to a people
who are desperate
for Jesus to come back.
But he tells them
in verse 10,
the day of the lord
will come
like a thief.
A thief arrives
when we least expect it.
The only way to cope
with not knowing
when the day of the lord
will come
is not to know
when it's coming.
But Peter says
is to be sure
that when it comes,
we are prepared.
We are ready.
So Peter paints
this picture
of what the day
will be like
and it's unfiltered,
it's fiery
and it's on purpose.
It'll feature
the perishing
in verse 9
and the destruction
in verse 7
of the ungodly.
fires will roar
as the objects
of our universe
burn.
Verse 10
and verse 12
as everything
will be laid bare.
The day of the lord
ends
with the removal
of all things
that humans
hold on to.
Our autonomy,
our possessions,
our comforts,
our reputations
and everything
we're hiding
from everyone else.
The day of the lord
is a devastation
for all humanity
where verse 9
says we will
perish
unless we're ready
and there's only
one way
to be prepared
for the day
and it's not
knowing when
the day is coming
and there's no
getting away
from it.
but look at
verse 9 again.
The one way
to be ready
for the day
of the lord
is to repent.
To repent
means turning
from our
sin and unbelief
and trusting
in Jesus alone
for forgiveness
from God.
Turning
and trusting.
It's a complete
apology
for how
we've
unrighteously
claimed
the starring
role of our
lives
and actively
yielding
that back
to the lord
Jesus
while we live
before
the day
of the lord
arrives.
But
there would
be no value
in our repentance
if not for
Jesus
for he
is willing
to hear
from you
hear your
repentance
and your
desire for
him to
take
your sin.
In
exchange
he is
willing to
take the
punishment
you deserve
for playing
his role
in your
life
and give
to you
his place
in a perfect
relationship
with God
with the
creator
and director.
Jesus
will receive
you.
Every
repentant
human
will
receive
this
glorious
movie
ending
and he
will take
on our
judgment
and punishment
under the
wrath of
God
without cost
because he
loves us.
remember
how good
Easter is.
There's so
much in
Good Friday
that is
good.
The
repentant
are safe
on the
day of
the Lord.
So if you
repent and
hand over
your life
to Jesus
today
if you
already
have
then your
safety and
joy
is assured
right now
only because
of Jesus.
Peter says
in verse
13
he is
looking
forward
to the
new
creation
to the
new
future
to the
day
of the
Lord
because
Jesus
is coming
back.
That is
where
the new
creation
will be
where
righteousness
dwells.
It will
be where
Jesus'
righteousness
defines
this new
creation
and his
complete
presence
with us
those who
repent
will make
that day
so very
joyous
and so
very
wonderful.
But for
those who
reject Jesus'
lordship
while they
live on
earth
they will
acknowledge it
on the
day of the
Lord
but they
will be
judged
for their
life
as it
is now.
And
their end
Peter says
is
destruction.
How does
this new
future
sit with
you?
Are you
looking forward
to it?
This day
of the
Lord
with fear
worry
or joy?
How can
God's
judgment
day be
good?
How can
we look
forward to
it?
Jesus'
apparent
slowness
to come
back
was the
reason that
skeptics
mocked
the early
church
back in
Peter's
day.
And we
heard
Rachel
read it
before
in
Psalm
90
and
Peter
refers
to
that
psalm
here
in
verse
9
that
God
sees
all of
time
with a
perspective
we lack
but with
a focus
that we
lack.
The
Lord is
not slow
in keeping
his promise
as some
understand
slowness.
Instead
he is
patient
with you
not wanting
anyone
to perish
but everyone
to come
to repentance.
The very
heart's
desire
of our
creator
God
is that
more and
more people
would come
to repentance.
Every second
that God
waits for
the day
of the
Lord
to bring
Jesus'
day
is a
moment
of his
mercy
toward
the
unrepentant.
Imagine
if Jesus
had returned
before you
returned
to him.
If Jesus
came
25 years
ago
I would
be unrepentant.
I was
still trying
to live
my life
on my
terms
and maybe
earn
my way
into
the new
future.
What
about
you?
Peter
says
that
in
verse
15
that
our
Lord's
patience
means
salvation.
Think
of all
the people
over the
last 2,000
or so
years
since Peter
wrote this
who have
been saved.
What
merciful
patience
our
God
has.
Think
of the
promise
kept
by our
Saviour
to all
nations
as the
gospel
goes
across
our
globe
even
today.
God
offers
everyone
his
salvation
in their
lifetime
and that
salvation
is set
against
this
backdrop
of
destruction
and
judgment
yet
it's
on the
timeline
of his
merciful
patience.
God's
patient
judgment
is
good.
Tin
Keller
says
that with
the day
of the
Lord
and its
judgment
without
it
there is
no meaning
in anything
at all.
Either the
world is a
meaningless
fluke of
uncreated
nature
with no
judgment
day
and only
a big
crush
coming
apparently
or
God
made
a
universe
with
a
purpose
that
will
be
held
to
account
for.
Keller
says
that you
can't
believe
in
Jesus
or even
creative
design
or even
Jesus
Christ
and then
say
judgment
day is
not
coming.
It's
everything
or
nothing
otherwise
the how
and why
you live
makes no
difference.
Judgment
day is
the right
side
of a
frame.
Creation
is the
left
and your
life dances
across the
canvas
somewhere in
between.
Your life
means
something.
Your actions
matter
to the
God who
created
you
and those
actions
define
the outcome
of your
judgment
day
and thanks
to Jesus
we can
be confident
looking forward
to it.
God's
meaningful
judgment
is good.
We need
just
judgment
in our
world
too.
With
far away
wars
that right
now feel
pretty near
and countless
injustices
even
just in
our city
and our
lives as
well.
So we
need to
judge
beyond
our
humanity
to bring
a real
good
justice.
I want to
encourage you
to later
at some
point this
week
maybe write
this down
right now
I want you
to go back
and listen
to a
sermon
preached
by Steve
this time
last year
called
Jesus
All About
Justice
Justice.
So in
your podcast
app
look it
up
we're in
there now
on Spotify
and Apple
or go to
our website
and have a
listen to
that where
Steve gives
this topic
its due
because we
long for
swift justice
in our
lives
in the lives
of the
mistreated
the abused
the enslaved
the oppressed
and when
Peter says
in verse
10
everything
done
will be
laid
bare
he means
that all
wrong ever
done
will be
exposed
and brought
to a
complete
justice
on the
day of
the Lord
our Lord
Jesus
offers
humanity
a perfect
justice
but imagine
if that day
was up to
you
I imagine
you'd be
pretty lenient
with yourself
I would be
lenient
with myself
I like to
give myself
the benefit
of the doubt
all the time
but what about
those who
have wronged
you
would they
get that
same
benefit
what we
need
instead
of ourselves
or even
the best
of humanity
on that
day
is we
need a
truly
unbiased
perfect
judge
we need
Jesus
Christ
to once
for all
judge
the world
in full
transparency
that everything
we've done
as a
humanity
over all
time
and in
every
place
you're
not going
to get
that
offer
from
any
other
religion
you're
not going
to get
that hope
from
atheism
you're
only going
to get
a good
judgment
from
Jesus
Christ
our new
future
begins
on
Jesus
judgment
day
and his
judgment
is good
Peter
wants us
to look
forward
to the
day
of
the
Lord
so it
becomes
a rock
under
the feet
of our
every
next
step
following
Jesus
makes
an impact
on how
we live
so Peter
says in
verse 11
since
everything
will be
destroyed
in this
way
what
kind
of
people
ought
we
be
ought
you
be
to
live
you
ought
to
live
holy
and
godly
lives
as
you
look
forward
to
that
day
it
is
as if
Peter
is
saying
because
your
world
is
momentary
and
your
life
belongs
to
the
Lord
and
live
to
your
Lord
living
out
your
future
citizenship
in
this
new
creation
if
Jesus
is
Lord
of
your
life
it's
like
you've
already
got
your
passport
to
that
day
as
we
look
forward
to
the
day
of
the
Lord
and
surrender
to
Jesus
our
bent
to
seek
moral
and
good
to
be
moral
and
good
to
earn
a
good
name
for
ourselves
in
our
world
gets
broken
because
we
continually
remember
our
day
the
day
of
the
Lord
will
place
our
efforts
in
him
rightly
efforts
for
him
in
its
proper
place
which
is
our
response
to
his
patient
salvation
of
us
not
in
earning
his
salvation
for
ourselves
as
we
look
towards
this
new
future
that
is
coming
Peter
expects
us
to
grow
in
what
he
calls
in
verse
one
have
a
look
there
wholesome
thinking
now
there
are more
ways
than this
but we're
going to
look at
three
ways
that
the
new
future
changes
our
thinking
our
new
future
grows
our
confidence
for
life
it
is
easier
to
endure
even
the
hardest
day
knowing
that
Jesus
is
coming
soon
hoping
with
confidence
that
he
is
coming
soon
and
how
we
are
going
to
be
a
part
of
that
new
future
our
new
future
develops
our
taste
for
justice
we
don't
give
up
on
justice
in
our
world
because
we
know
it
will
be
completely
dealt
with
no
matter
how
fierce
or
out
of
control
justice
is
and
we
know
that
with
that
burden
on
his
shoulders
the
injustice
that
we
see
in
front
of
us
we
can
grow
a
heart
to
step
into
that
and
no
matter
how
difficult
it
gets
or
no
matter
how
out
of
our
control
and
injustice
is
no
matter
what
we
see
in
our
screens
we
know
that
we
can
put
all
of
it
into
the
hands
of
that
he
might
do
justice
now
but
trusting
that
on
the
day
he
will
do
it
completely
now
a
new
future
fuels
our
forgiveness
take
note
church
whenever
two
pastors
prepare
something
differently
and
then
share
the
same
thing
I
think
God's
got
this
word
for
us
as
a
church
today
because
this
is
what
Steve
already
shared
looking
forward
to
the
day
of
the
Lord
reminds
us
that
we
have
repented
and
found
forgiveness
through
Jesus
remembering
the
horror
of
his
judgment
without
God's
forgiveness
reminds
us
that
he
is
forgiving
and
as
we
remember
Jesus
being
wronged
in
our
place
it
pales
in
comparison
to
any
wrong
done
to
us
in
our
life
and
we
trust
him
with
our
hunger
for
justice
freeing
us
to
forgive
others
and
there
is
even
hope
for
the
wrongdoer
the
one
who
does
wrong
to
us
that
they
might
find
that
same
forgiveness
too
forgiveness
grows
as we
rely
on
God's
judgment
and
patient
perspective
most
spectacularly
the
new
future
perfects
our
purpose
as a
people
look
look at
verse
12
Peter
says
something
remarkable
look
forward
to the
day
of
God
and
speed
its
coming
Peter
is not
saying
that we
can make
God
show up
any
faster
but
every
time the
lordship
of Jesus
is declared
in word
in action
in love
of God
or in
our
neighbor
by
those
who
follow
Jesus
that
in a
way
speeds
the
coming
of the
dawn
of this
day
as if
it's
flickering
over the
horizon
little
shafts
of light
hitting
the world
on that
day
every tongue
will confess
that Jesus
is Lord
but if
you live
and speak
the lordship
of Jesus
in your
life
now
your new
life
will attract
others
to follow
him
too
to join
in openly
declaring
that Jesus
is Lord
now
and receive
God's
patience
salvation
before
the day
there are
multiple
benefits
that
life
following
Jesus
offers
you
new life
is
true
freedom
new life
is true
justice
new life
is true
comfort
true
identity
true
power
true
hope
and add
to that
a new
future
that's
undeniably
coming
that is
good
and adds
to the
many
benefits
of following
Jesus
today
Peter relied
on the
patient
grace
of Jesus
to bring
him
salvation
and he
trusted
all the
words
of Jesus
promises
he had
faith
that
Jesus
would
patiently
save
people
while
Peter
died
before
his
Lord
came
back
but
Peter
will
be
there
when
Jesus
returns
and so
will
you
ever
since
Peter
wrote
such
words
that we
now call
the Bible
new life
has been
found
by millions
and now
it's
over
to you
what's
your
next
step
what's
your
next
step
in
responding
to the
patient
grace
of Jesus
Christ
but we
are all
here
standing
in the
legacy
of
Simon
yeah that
was his
name
but Jesus
called him
rock
we translate
that name
Peter
explore
and trust
the words
of Jesus
and stand
firm
in your
secure
position
on
Jesus
new
future
look forward
to his
coming again
and take
your next
step
as we
patiently
wait
for our
Lord