1 00:00:00,440 –> 00:00:01,780 Now please open your Bibles 2 00:00:01,780 –> 00:00:06,400 at Second Peter and chapter three. 3 00:00:06,400 –> 00:00:08,840 I want to remind you again 4 00:00:08,840 –> 00:00:11,140 that this letter is all about 5 00:00:11,140 –> 00:00:15,680 the sufficiency of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 6 00:00:15,680 –> 00:00:17,280 We’ve been learning its great theme 7 00:00:17,280 –> 00:00:19,879 and I think it’s now clear within our mind 8 00:00:19,879 –> 00:00:23,940 that the Lord Jesus Christ 9 00:00:23,940 –> 00:00:26,900 brings to us in himself, in knowing him, 10 00:00:26,900 –> 00:00:28,219 we have everything that we need 11 00:00:28,219 –> 00:00:29,840 for every circumstance. 12 00:00:29,879 –> 00:00:33,360 We could ever face in our life in this world. 13 00:00:33,360 –> 00:00:35,660 It is a marvelous theme. 14 00:00:35,660 –> 00:00:37,759 And we’ve been following the sufficiency 15 00:00:37,759 –> 00:00:40,119 of the Lord, Jesus Christ for life 16 00:00:40,119 –> 00:00:45,119 and for growth and for faith and for deliverance. 17 00:00:45,119 –> 00:00:46,720 Now we take it up this morning 18 00:00:46,720 –> 00:00:50,360 then at Second Peter and chapter three, 19 00:00:50,360 –> 00:00:53,860 where Peter is describing the environment 20 00:00:53,860 –> 00:00:58,480 in which we live our Christian lives in this world. 21 00:00:58,480 –> 00:00:59,799 And he says in verse three, 22 00:00:59,799 –> 00:01:02,259 first of all, you must understand 23 00:01:03,240 –> 00:01:08,239 that in the last days, scoffers will come scoffing 24 00:01:08,839 –> 00:01:13,480 and following their own evil desires. 25 00:01:13,480 –> 00:01:14,760 Now, the last days, 26 00:01:14,760 –> 00:01:17,459 when the New Testament refers to the last days, 27 00:01:17,459 –> 00:01:19,680 it’s more than simply the generation 28 00:01:19,680 –> 00:01:23,580 immediately before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 29 00:01:23,580 –> 00:01:26,940 In the New Testament, the last days refers to all the days 30 00:01:27,000 –> 00:01:28,080 between the first coming 31 00:01:28,080 –> 00:01:30,339 and the second coming of the Lord Jesus. 32 00:01:30,339 –> 00:01:32,099 And if you want to check that out, 33 00:01:32,099 –> 00:01:36,000 you can do so in Acts chapter two and verse 17, 34 00:01:36,000 –> 00:01:38,739 where Peter quotes the prophet Joel, 35 00:01:38,739 –> 00:01:41,180 who says that in the last days 36 00:01:41,180 –> 00:01:44,220 God will pour out his Spirit upon all people. 37 00:01:44,220 –> 00:01:45,059 And Peter says, 38 00:01:45,059 –> 00:01:46,820 now that’s exactly what is happening 39 00:01:46,820 –> 00:01:48,260 on the day of Pentecost. 40 00:01:48,260 –> 00:01:50,900 So last days in the New Testament, 41 00:01:50,900 –> 00:01:54,639 Acts 2.17, begin from the day of Pentecost. 42 00:01:54,639 –> 00:01:56,720 Really all the days between the first 43 00:01:56,720 –> 00:01:58,980 and the second coming of the Lord Jesus. 44 00:01:58,980 –> 00:02:01,959 Now it says Peter, you must understand this. 45 00:02:01,959 –> 00:02:04,660 It’s very important to get this. 46 00:02:04,660 –> 00:02:06,500 That throughout this entire period, 47 00:02:06,500 –> 00:02:09,679 this is going to be the experience of the church. 48 00:02:09,679 –> 00:02:13,860 There will be folks who scoff at Christian faith 49 00:02:13,860 –> 00:02:15,520 and will follow verse three, 50 00:02:15,520 –> 00:02:18,699 their own evil desires. 51 00:02:18,699 –> 00:02:20,639 So he’s describing in this verse 52 00:02:20,639 –> 00:02:23,000 then the normal experience 53 00:02:23,160 –> 00:02:25,119 off the Christian church 54 00:02:25,119 –> 00:02:28,080 until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 55 00:02:28,080 –> 00:02:30,720 This is what the first Christians faced 56 00:02:30,720 –> 00:02:32,240 in the time that Peter was writing. 57 00:02:32,240 –> 00:02:33,580 This is what we face today. 58 00:02:33,580 –> 00:02:35,839 This is what the church will always face 59 00:02:35,839 –> 00:02:40,080 and we should never, never, never be surprised by it. 60 00:02:40,080 –> 00:02:42,800 Don’t be surprised by the antagonism 61 00:02:42,800 –> 00:02:45,580 of the world towards the gospel. 62 00:02:45,580 –> 00:02:47,039 The world never changes 63 00:02:47,039 –> 00:02:50,380 in any continent or in any century. 64 00:02:50,380 –> 00:02:52,839 The human heart is always the same. 65 00:02:53,240 –> 00:02:55,339 By nature we do not seek God. 66 00:02:55,339 –> 00:02:57,039 By nature we do not love God 67 00:02:57,039 –> 00:03:00,259 and by nature we cannot please God. 68 00:03:00,259 –> 00:03:01,679 So in the last days, Peter says, 69 00:03:01,679 –> 00:03:04,179 understand this, scoffers will come scoffing 70 00:03:04,179 –> 00:03:06,699 and following their own evil desires. 71 00:03:06,699 –> 00:03:10,240 By the way, notice how two things always go together. 72 00:03:10,240 –> 00:03:15,240 Rejecting God’s word, following our own evil desires. 73 00:03:15,820 –> 00:03:19,160 These two are always joined together. 74 00:03:20,000 –> 00:03:23,919 Because, of course, if you want to follow your own desires, 75 00:03:23,919 –> 00:03:26,479 you have to reject God. 76 00:03:26,479 –> 00:03:28,259 If you want to live life your own way, 77 00:03:28,259 –> 00:03:30,800 you have to put yourself, your own vision, 78 00:03:30,800 –> 00:03:33,619 your own aspirations on the throne of your life 79 00:03:33,619 –> 00:03:36,240 and the easiest way to do that is to reject God, 80 00:03:36,240 –> 00:03:38,279 probably by saying that you do not believe him 81 00:03:38,279 –> 00:03:40,740 or do not find him relevant. 82 00:03:40,740 –> 00:03:42,259 In other words, Peter is reminding us 83 00:03:42,259 –> 00:03:45,880 that unbelief has its own reasons. 84 00:03:45,880 –> 00:03:49,320 The sinner would prefer a world without God 85 00:03:49,320 –> 00:03:51,440 because he wants to be his own God. 86 00:03:51,440 –> 00:03:55,080 That is why Paul says in Romans 1 in verse 20 87 00:03:55,080 –> 00:04:00,080 that men suppress the truth by their own wickedness. 88 00:04:00,360 –> 00:04:03,460 There’s a rationale behind unbelief 89 00:04:03,460 –> 00:04:08,460 and a motivation that has its own internal logic. 90 00:04:09,839 –> 00:04:12,460 So he’s telling us then that unbelief 91 00:04:12,500 –> 00:04:14,339 and rebellion against God 92 00:04:14,339 –> 00:04:19,339 are really the default position of the human heart. 93 00:04:19,420 –> 00:04:21,480 In Romans chapter eight in verse seven, 94 00:04:21,480 –> 00:04:25,260 the sinful mind that is the nature we are all born with 95 00:04:25,260 –> 00:04:28,459 is hostile towards God. 96 00:04:28,459 –> 00:04:29,859 Romans eight, seven. 97 00:04:29,859 –> 00:04:34,540 The sinful mind is hostile towards God. 98 00:04:34,540 –> 00:04:38,899 So the idea that by nature we somehow seek God 99 00:04:38,899 –> 00:04:40,940 and somehow in a hidden way love him 100 00:04:40,940 –> 00:04:43,980 and really trying to find him if only we really could 101 00:04:43,980 –> 00:04:48,980 is completely false according to the scriptures. 102 00:04:50,179 –> 00:04:52,299 So following Christ for us 103 00:04:52,299 –> 00:04:55,799 who have been redeemed by his incredible grace, 104 00:04:55,799 –> 00:04:58,700 following Christ in a Christ-rejecting world 105 00:04:58,700 –> 00:05:00,940 isn’t going to be easy. 106 00:05:00,940 –> 00:05:02,779 We’re going to find ourselves 107 00:05:02,779 –> 00:05:06,260 in the same sort of position as Lot was in. 108 00:05:06,260 –> 00:05:08,619 We saw this last time in chapter two, 109 00:05:08,619 –> 00:05:12,519 and in verse seven, where Peter tells us 110 00:05:12,519 –> 00:05:17,339 that Lot was distressed by the way of the world around him. 111 00:05:17,339 –> 00:05:19,519 It really distressed him 112 00:05:19,519 –> 00:05:22,980 as a righteous man who loved the Lord, 113 00:05:22,980 –> 00:05:26,739 and he was tormented in so many ways, day after day. 114 00:05:26,739 –> 00:05:29,899 It wasn’t easy for him to live as a godly man 115 00:05:29,899 –> 00:05:32,459 in a Christ-rejecting world. 116 00:05:32,459 –> 00:05:35,059 And Peter says, now, the church must understand 117 00:05:35,100 –> 00:05:38,380 that we are going to experience the same. 118 00:05:39,339 –> 00:05:40,540 Now, let’s now put that then 119 00:05:40,540 –> 00:05:42,720 in the frame of this whole letter. 120 00:05:42,720 –> 00:05:44,279 We’re being told by Peter that, 121 00:05:44,279 –> 00:05:47,799 in Christ, we have everything that we need for life, 122 00:05:47,799 –> 00:05:48,799 everything that we need 123 00:05:48,799 –> 00:05:52,200 for living a godly way in this world. 124 00:05:52,200 –> 00:05:56,380 And if that’s the case, we need to find, in Christ, 125 00:05:56,380 –> 00:06:00,160 the strength, the patience, 126 00:06:00,160 –> 00:06:03,799 the wisdom, and the grace 127 00:06:03,839 –> 00:06:06,579 to live in a world that does not see His glory, 128 00:06:06,579 –> 00:06:08,660 does not believe in His word, 129 00:06:08,660 –> 00:06:11,359 and does not follow His way. 130 00:06:12,339 –> 00:06:14,739 Now, it’s that tension that is the subject 131 00:06:14,739 –> 00:06:17,679 of 2 Peter and Chapter Three. 132 00:06:19,059 –> 00:06:20,619 I think we all experience this. 133 00:06:20,619 –> 00:06:23,059 I mean, think about the world we have lived in 134 00:06:23,059 –> 00:06:24,820 for the last hundred years. 135 00:06:26,779 –> 00:06:30,480 I mean, we’ve gone through evolutionism 136 00:06:30,480 –> 00:06:32,320 that says there’s no creator. 137 00:06:33,880 –> 00:06:36,480 Then we’ve come through a wave of postmodernism 138 00:06:37,679 –> 00:06:39,559 that says there is no truth. 139 00:06:40,519 –> 00:06:42,640 And now we’re seeing all across the bookshops 140 00:06:42,640 –> 00:06:45,420 the rise of a new atheism 141 00:06:45,420 –> 00:06:47,600 that says that there is no God. 142 00:06:47,600 –> 00:06:49,179 This is the world in which we live. 143 00:06:49,179 –> 00:06:50,459 I went into the bookstore the other day 144 00:06:50,459 –> 00:06:52,940 and saw a table piled with book with this title, 145 00:06:52,940 –> 00:06:55,059 you’ve probably seen it, 146 00:06:55,059 –> 00:06:58,420 God is Not Great, 147 00:06:59,760 –> 00:07:02,220 piled high, God is not great. 148 00:07:03,820 –> 00:07:04,660 I have to tell you, 149 00:07:04,660 –> 00:07:08,239 I came out of that bookshop distressed in my own soul. 150 00:07:09,839 –> 00:07:11,399 And yet what I was experienced 151 00:07:11,399 –> 00:07:14,459 is exactly what Peter is talking about here, 152 00:07:14,459 –> 00:07:16,959 this is the world that you live in 153 00:07:16,959 –> 00:07:19,980 and don’t ever be surprised by it Peter is saying. 154 00:07:21,380 –> 00:07:23,260 Some of you live with us every day. 155 00:07:23,260 –> 00:07:28,260 You work beside people who are cynical about your faith, 156 00:07:28,459 –> 00:07:31,119 whose choice of values and of behavior 157 00:07:31,239 –> 00:07:34,579 just distresses your own soul. 158 00:07:36,320 –> 00:07:38,380 And how are you gonna handle that? 159 00:07:40,679 –> 00:07:41,600 You know I tell you honestly, 160 00:07:41,600 –> 00:07:46,119 I find that I can quickly and easily become frustrated 161 00:07:47,140 –> 00:07:50,239 and even angry when people are cynical 162 00:07:50,239 –> 00:07:52,920 and skeptical towards God. 163 00:07:54,220 –> 00:07:56,160 And I need to deal with that 164 00:07:56,160 –> 00:07:58,320 and that’s what Peter is talking about here 165 00:07:58,359 –> 00:08:02,320 because becoming angry and angry Christianity 166 00:08:02,320 –> 00:08:05,880 never advances the purpose of God. 167 00:08:08,239 –> 00:08:11,640 So how can I live in a way that is authentically Christian 168 00:08:12,880 –> 00:08:15,279 in a world that so often despises my faith? 169 00:08:15,279 –> 00:08:16,559 How can you do that? 170 00:08:18,380 –> 00:08:19,380 Well we need some help here 171 00:08:19,380 –> 00:08:22,559 and that is what 2nd Peter chapter three is all about. 172 00:08:22,559 –> 00:08:24,480 But before we get into what Peter says, 173 00:08:24,480 –> 00:08:27,119 I just want us to be tuned into its relevance 174 00:08:27,160 –> 00:08:28,459 in this other way. 175 00:08:29,799 –> 00:08:31,540 See the pressure for many of us 176 00:08:31,540 –> 00:08:34,380 is not simply living in a secularized world. 177 00:08:35,719 –> 00:08:37,239 The pressure of unbelief, 178 00:08:37,239 –> 00:08:40,979 for many of us comes much closer to home than that. 179 00:08:40,979 –> 00:08:42,140 It’s more personal. 180 00:08:43,479 –> 00:08:48,479 What do you do when you have a son or a daughter 181 00:08:48,520 –> 00:08:51,359 who turns away from following Christ? 182 00:08:52,580 –> 00:08:53,979 They don’t believe. 183 00:08:54,799 –> 00:08:58,299 And you see a hardness coming over their soul. 184 00:08:59,520 –> 00:09:03,239 They show no interest in spiritual things. 185 00:09:03,239 –> 00:09:06,760 Eyes roll when you talk to them about going to church. 186 00:09:06,760 –> 00:09:08,580 That’s tough. 187 00:09:08,580 –> 00:09:12,000 And what starts going on inside you is very predictable. 188 00:09:12,000 –> 00:09:13,679 You begin to feel frustrated. 189 00:09:13,679 –> 00:09:14,940 You say what can I do? 190 00:09:14,940 –> 00:09:16,239 What can the church do? 191 00:09:17,700 –> 00:09:19,340 You feel helpless. 192 00:09:20,380 –> 00:09:22,799 Feel powerless. 193 00:09:22,799 –> 00:09:26,520 And so easily, even within our homes and within our families 194 00:09:26,520 –> 00:09:29,059 as frustration develops, 195 00:09:29,059 –> 00:09:30,919 anger grows. 196 00:09:32,559 –> 00:09:34,320 And of course getting angry doesn’t do anything 197 00:09:34,320 –> 00:09:37,219 to bring him or her nearer to Christ. 198 00:09:39,419 –> 00:09:42,679 Isn’t it one of the hardest things in all of the world 199 00:09:42,679 –> 00:09:46,919 to see someone you love wasting their life? 200 00:09:49,320 –> 00:09:51,960 Now, that’s exactly what Peter is talking about here. 201 00:09:53,280 –> 00:09:55,239 Following their own desires. 202 00:09:56,599 –> 00:09:59,940 And it should not surprise us that we struggle, then, 203 00:09:59,940 –> 00:10:03,700 with feeling at times defeated, perplexed, frustrated, 204 00:10:03,700 –> 00:10:08,700 embattled, helpless, angry, tense, afraid, and even ashamed. 205 00:10:10,460 –> 00:10:12,520 I hope I’ve said enough now to frame 206 00:10:12,520 –> 00:10:15,520 why 2 Peter chapter three is well worth 207 00:10:15,520 –> 00:10:17,039 our attention this morning, 208 00:10:17,039 –> 00:10:19,479 because probably in every family circle 209 00:10:19,520 –> 00:10:22,820 there is someone over whom you are distressed 210 00:10:24,719 –> 00:10:27,780 because their whole disposition towards God 211 00:10:29,479 –> 00:10:34,320 is 1000 miles from where you would wish it to be. 212 00:10:35,780 –> 00:10:40,780 Now, how can we develop patience with unbelieving kids, 213 00:10:40,919 –> 00:10:45,559 hard-bitten colleagues, recalcitrant relatives, 214 00:10:45,559 –> 00:10:48,359 so that what comes out of us 215 00:10:48,359 –> 00:10:53,200 in this unbelieving environment is the spirit of Jesus 216 00:10:54,679 –> 00:10:56,919 and not the hard-bitten spirit 217 00:10:56,919 –> 00:10:59,840 of the pharisees, that’s the challenge. 218 00:11:01,280 –> 00:11:03,840 And I want you to notice how Peter approaches it. 219 00:11:03,840 –> 00:11:07,119 You won’t be surprised that he offers no quick fix 220 00:11:07,119 –> 00:11:09,559 but he does draw us to a new attitude. 221 00:11:09,559 –> 00:11:10,479 In verse one, he says, 222 00:11:10,479 –> 00:11:13,200 “‘Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you 223 00:11:13,200 –> 00:11:15,299 “‘and I’ve written for this reason, 224 00:11:15,320 –> 00:11:17,739 “‘I send them as reminders to stimulate you 225 00:11:17,739 –> 00:11:19,840 “‘to wholesome thinking.’” 226 00:11:20,739 –> 00:11:23,419 He’s going where Paul goes in Romans chapter 12 in verse one. 227 00:11:23,419 –> 00:11:25,200 You’re to be transformed, 228 00:11:25,200 –> 00:11:28,299 we’re to be changed by the renewing of our minds. 229 00:11:29,280 –> 00:11:32,340 He says there’s truth here that is going to help us 230 00:11:32,340 –> 00:11:35,479 in the practical difficulties that we face 231 00:11:35,479 –> 00:11:38,900 in an unbelieving world. 232 00:11:38,900 –> 00:11:41,500 Fill your mind with who God is 233 00:11:41,500 –> 00:11:44,919 and you will have everything that you need for patience. 234 00:11:44,960 –> 00:11:47,760 Now I want us to see three great truths about God 235 00:11:47,760 –> 00:11:49,919 right here in these first 10 verses 236 00:11:49,919 –> 00:11:52,159 of 2 Peter chapter three. 237 00:11:52,159 –> 00:11:53,900 The God is eternal, 238 00:11:53,900 –> 00:11:55,640 the God is patient, 239 00:11:55,640 –> 00:11:57,840 and the God is merciful. 240 00:11:57,840 –> 00:11:59,359 And wholesome thinking 241 00:11:59,359 –> 00:12:02,919 about these glorious truths of God, 242 00:12:02,919 –> 00:12:04,799 these glories of God, 243 00:12:04,799 –> 00:12:06,260 will lift us and help us 244 00:12:06,260 –> 00:12:08,159 and give to us everything we need 245 00:12:08,159 –> 00:12:11,400 through Jesus Christ for patience, 246 00:12:11,400 –> 00:12:12,840 mercy, 247 00:12:12,840 –> 00:12:13,799 grace 248 00:12:14,599 –> 00:12:15,900 in this unbelieving 249 00:12:15,900 –> 00:12:18,400 and sometimes very hostile world. 250 00:12:18,400 –> 00:12:19,659 That’s where we’re going. 251 00:12:20,940 –> 00:12:22,380 Okay. 252 00:12:22,380 –> 00:12:23,460 God is eternal. 253 00:12:24,340 –> 00:12:25,960 Let’s focus in on verse 8. 254 00:12:25,960 –> 00:12:28,679 Marvellous verse that many know well. 255 00:12:28,679 –> 00:12:29,900 For all the times I’ve 256 00:12:31,580 –> 00:12:33,299 heard or read this verse, 257 00:12:34,159 –> 00:12:36,039 not sure I’ve really reflected on it 258 00:12:36,039 –> 00:12:38,400 as I’ve tried to do this week. 259 00:12:38,400 –> 00:12:40,520 It’s been a blessing to me. 260 00:12:40,520 –> 00:12:42,340 Do not forget this, verse 8. 261 00:12:42,340 –> 00:12:43,299 Dear friends, 262 00:12:44,080 –> 00:12:45,799 with the Lord, 263 00:12:45,799 –> 00:12:48,659 a day is like a thousand years 264 00:12:49,659 –> 00:12:51,380 and a thousand years 265 00:12:52,559 –> 00:12:54,460 are like a day. 266 00:12:54,460 –> 00:12:55,460 God is eternal. 267 00:12:56,460 –> 00:12:59,739 That means that God is outside of time, 268 00:12:59,739 –> 00:13:02,580 though He acts in time. 269 00:13:02,580 –> 00:13:05,179 He is not limited by time. 270 00:13:06,539 –> 00:13:09,619 And that means that what is happening in your life 271 00:13:09,619 –> 00:13:11,739 and what is happening in the world 272 00:13:12,400 –> 00:13:14,739 looks very different to God 273 00:13:14,739 –> 00:13:17,359 from the way that it looks to us. 274 00:13:18,580 –> 00:13:20,760 Now, of course, eternity is so vast 275 00:13:20,760 –> 00:13:22,059 that there is no way in the world 276 00:13:22,059 –> 00:13:26,179 that our human minds can begin to comprehend it. 277 00:13:26,179 –> 00:13:28,859 So God accommodates Himself to us here 278 00:13:28,859 –> 00:13:31,299 by giving us a kind of analogy, 279 00:13:31,299 –> 00:13:33,880 by giving us an extended scale of time 280 00:13:33,880 –> 00:13:36,640 so that at least our mind can be pointed 281 00:13:36,640 –> 00:13:40,580 in the right direction to begin to think 282 00:13:40,580 –> 00:13:42,299 about eternity. 283 00:13:43,380 –> 00:13:45,260 And there are two statements here, 284 00:13:45,260 –> 00:13:47,599 each one of which helps us, I think, 285 00:13:47,599 –> 00:13:50,679 in a very practical and distinct way. 286 00:13:52,380 –> 00:13:53,940 Let’s take the second first. 287 00:13:53,940 –> 00:13:58,719 With the Lord a thousand years 288 00:13:58,719 –> 00:14:01,080 is as a day. 289 00:14:02,739 –> 00:14:04,820 Now what that means if with the Lord 290 00:14:04,820 –> 00:14:09,080 a thousand years is as a day, 291 00:14:09,080 –> 00:14:14,080 that means that life on earth is very, very short. 292 00:14:16,159 –> 00:14:18,400 Think of it on this timescale 293 00:14:18,400 –> 00:14:20,919 that Peter is opening up to us, 294 00:14:20,919 –> 00:14:23,039 and he’s quoting from Psalm number 90. 295 00:14:25,239 –> 00:14:28,440 Abraham lived 4,000 years ago. 296 00:14:30,559 –> 00:14:33,799 What that means is that before God, 297 00:14:33,799 –> 00:14:36,000 human history is like this. 298 00:14:36,919 –> 00:14:39,780 Abraham was born on Wednesday. 299 00:14:41,140 –> 00:14:43,719 King David was born on Thursday. 300 00:14:44,599 –> 00:14:47,520 The Lord Jesus Christ was born on Friday. 301 00:14:48,239 –> 00:14:52,000 The Middle Ages slipped away yesterday. 302 00:14:52,000 –> 00:14:54,179 And our generation will have passed 303 00:14:54,179 –> 00:14:56,280 before this service is done this morning. 304 00:14:57,280 –> 00:14:59,479 And if God should let the world continue 305 00:14:59,479 –> 00:15:00,900 til tomorrow morning, 306 00:15:00,900 –> 00:15:05,900 another 30 generations will have come and have gone. 307 00:15:07,000 –> 00:15:12,000 With the Lord, a thousand years is like a day. 308 00:15:15,059 –> 00:15:17,400 Now on that scale, and you can get the calculator out 309 00:15:17,400 –> 00:15:18,760 and check me later, I can have a couple of folks 310 00:15:18,760 –> 00:15:21,380 just check it, because I want to get this one right. 311 00:15:22,200 –> 00:15:26,679 On that scale, if your life should be 312 00:15:26,679 –> 00:15:31,679 70 years, then to God, it is like 313 00:15:32,440 –> 00:15:36,200 100 minutes, just over an hour and a half. 314 00:15:37,679 –> 00:15:39,299 It’s worth thinking about that. 315 00:15:41,239 –> 00:15:46,239 So here’s the person who does not believe in God. 316 00:15:48,280 –> 00:15:51,799 And does not obey God and is growing up 317 00:15:51,799 –> 00:15:55,640 and wants to take his own stand to live his own life 318 00:15:55,640 –> 00:15:58,679 in his own way and make his own mark on the world 319 00:15:58,719 –> 00:16:00,640 and he thinks his own life 320 00:16:00,640 –> 00:16:02,739 that he is going to live is so important 321 00:16:02,739 –> 00:16:04,440 and God looks down from heaven. 322 00:16:05,780 –> 00:16:07,640 An hour and a half and he’ll be gone. 323 00:16:09,960 –> 00:16:10,979 An hour and a half. 324 00:16:13,000 –> 00:16:15,280 See, that truth is so important 325 00:16:15,280 –> 00:16:18,919 because it cuts through our self importance. 326 00:16:20,960 –> 00:16:24,919 Helps us, look at all the attention 327 00:16:24,919 –> 00:16:28,400 that is being paid to just deciding 328 00:16:28,400 –> 00:16:31,599 who will run for the next president 329 00:16:31,599 –> 00:16:34,039 of the United States of America. 330 00:16:36,239 –> 00:16:38,559 And whoever wins will get about four years 331 00:16:38,559 –> 00:16:40,400 with a possible extension to eight. 332 00:16:41,940 –> 00:16:43,260 So do the calculation. 333 00:16:44,739 –> 00:16:47,880 With the Lord 1,000 years is like a day. 334 00:16:47,880 –> 00:16:49,440 So, as far as God is concerned, 335 00:16:49,440 –> 00:16:52,260 the next president of the United States of America 336 00:16:52,260 –> 00:16:55,159 will be in office for five minutes 337 00:16:56,119 –> 00:16:59,419 with a possible 10 if it runs 338 00:16:59,419 –> 00:17:03,820 to two terms for him or for her. 339 00:17:05,640 –> 00:17:08,619 That is a blip on God’s eternal screen. 340 00:17:11,959 –> 00:17:13,599 See, begin to think about this, 341 00:17:13,599 –> 00:17:16,119 the eternity of God, and it shifts your mind 342 00:17:16,119 –> 00:17:19,800 from where power is and what’s really important 343 00:17:19,800 –> 00:17:22,739 in this world and where the action really is. 344 00:17:22,780 –> 00:17:26,939 See, that’s why the scripture speaks again and again 345 00:17:26,939 –> 00:17:28,800 about gravity of our life. 346 00:17:28,800 –> 00:17:30,579 Two pictures the Bible uses. 347 00:17:30,579 –> 00:17:34,040 First, from 1 Peter in chapter one in verse 24, 348 00:17:34,040 –> 00:17:36,939 your life, human life, all human life, 349 00:17:36,939 –> 00:17:39,780 it’s like grass, just like grass 350 00:17:39,780 –> 00:17:41,319 that’s mowed up in the summer 351 00:17:41,319 –> 00:17:44,140 and it’s here today and it’s gone tomorrow. 352 00:17:46,099 –> 00:17:48,099 An hour and a half in the eyes of heaven 353 00:17:50,180 –> 00:17:51,780 and in James in chapter four. 354 00:17:51,780 –> 00:17:55,020 in verse 14, your life is like a mist or like a vapor, 355 00:17:55,020 –> 00:17:56,500 the picture there is like if you 356 00:17:56,500 –> 00:18:00,300 breathe on a mirror and it steams up and then it’s gone. 357 00:18:02,579 –> 00:18:04,619 An hour and a half on heavens time scale. 358 00:18:08,939 –> 00:18:10,699 Now, take this in and you will see 359 00:18:10,699 –> 00:18:14,420 that in this world that scoffs at God, 360 00:18:14,420 –> 00:18:19,400 this world that pursues its own desires, 361 00:18:20,300 –> 00:18:22,900 God is not worried about His enemies. 362 00:18:24,739 –> 00:18:27,959 And when we get all worked up about the state 363 00:18:27,959 –> 00:18:30,180 of the world and how things are going wrong, 364 00:18:30,180 –> 00:18:32,300 let’s remember that to the almighty, 365 00:18:32,300 –> 00:18:36,760 the whole of human history is very short. 366 00:18:37,719 –> 00:18:39,560 Which is why Psalm two says that 367 00:18:39,560 –> 00:18:41,119 when the kings of the earth 368 00:18:41,119 –> 00:18:42,900 take their stand against the Lord 369 00:18:42,900 –> 00:18:46,219 and against His anointed, you know what God does? 370 00:18:46,300 –> 00:18:49,540 God laughs, God laughs. 371 00:18:50,579 –> 00:18:53,920 He is not worried about his enemies. 372 00:18:55,180 –> 00:18:57,500 And when you see his eternity, 373 00:18:57,500 –> 00:19:01,280 you will not be worried about them either. 374 00:19:03,939 –> 00:19:05,619 Your life on earth is very short. 375 00:19:07,180 –> 00:19:08,540 So what matters? 376 00:19:09,819 –> 00:19:12,859 See, we think, don’t we, that what really matters 377 00:19:12,859 –> 00:19:14,859 is your education, your career, 378 00:19:14,920 –> 00:19:16,579 your opportunities, your investments, 379 00:19:16,579 –> 00:19:18,520 your health, your travel, your retirement, 380 00:19:18,520 –> 00:19:22,219 your quality of life and as far as God is concerned, 381 00:19:22,219 –> 00:19:25,219 all of us will be in his presence within an hour and a half. 382 00:19:26,699 –> 00:19:29,819 Now, you see, start getting into your mind 383 00:19:29,819 –> 00:19:34,199 that with the Lord, 1,000 years is as a day 384 00:19:35,540 –> 00:19:37,319 and you begin to get a different idea 385 00:19:37,319 –> 00:19:40,099 about what really matters in your life, 386 00:19:40,099 –> 00:19:42,660 which is why Psalm 90, from where Peter takes this quote, 387 00:19:42,699 –> 00:19:46,140 he says, teach us to number our days aright 388 00:19:46,140 –> 00:19:50,380 that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 389 00:19:52,219 –> 00:19:54,079 If you knew that you were in the presence of God 390 00:19:54,079 –> 00:19:56,260 in an hour and a half, you would be responding to him 391 00:19:56,260 –> 00:19:58,359 in an altogether different way right now. 392 00:19:59,959 –> 00:20:00,859 We all would. 393 00:20:03,500 –> 00:20:05,560 Life on earth is very, very short. 394 00:20:07,719 –> 00:20:10,040 Then Peter says the other, he says, 395 00:20:10,040 –> 00:20:14,979 a day is as a thousand years with the Lord. 396 00:20:16,000 –> 00:20:17,119 Now what that means, of course, 397 00:20:17,119 –> 00:20:19,959 is that life in heaven is very, very long. 398 00:20:21,500 –> 00:20:26,500 With the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, 399 00:20:28,699 –> 00:20:33,699 which means that God has all the time in the world. 400 00:20:35,520 –> 00:20:38,579 Let’s draw some practical help form this. 401 00:20:38,599 –> 00:20:42,319 Do you know that if one day is like a thousand years 402 00:20:42,319 –> 00:20:47,319 with the Lord, then if you were to live to the age of 70, 403 00:20:48,400 –> 00:20:49,660 you know how long your life would last 404 00:20:49,660 –> 00:20:52,180 on Heaven’s timescale that we calculated up? 405 00:20:53,119 –> 00:20:58,119 25 million years, 25 million years, 406 00:20:59,119 –> 00:21:02,040 long time for God to put up with you, isn’t it? 407 00:21:02,040 –> 00:21:05,359 25 million years. 408 00:21:05,660 –> 00:21:10,319 I got a lot of stuff to do next week, 409 00:21:11,239 –> 00:21:12,260 and to be real honest 410 00:21:12,260 –> 00:21:14,439 I’m feeling under a little bit of pressure. 411 00:21:16,319 –> 00:21:21,319 But if I could have one week of God’s days, 412 00:21:24,420 –> 00:21:27,660 1,000 years for every day of next week, 413 00:21:27,660 –> 00:21:30,660 7,000 years ahead in this coming week, 414 00:21:30,660 –> 00:21:33,060 I could get all of my work done 415 00:21:33,060 –> 00:21:34,859 and a lot more besides easily. 416 00:21:34,880 –> 00:21:36,160 I could do that. 417 00:21:37,640 –> 00:21:38,900 Monday is usually my day off, 418 00:21:38,900 –> 00:21:41,400 so I’ve been meditating on this. 419 00:21:41,400 –> 00:21:42,239 What would I do? 420 00:21:42,239 –> 00:21:45,599 Well I’d take the first 1,000 years off, 421 00:21:45,599 –> 00:21:48,599 knowing that there is easily enough time for me 422 00:21:48,599 –> 00:21:50,079 to accomplish everything 423 00:21:50,079 –> 00:21:52,540 that has been trusted to me in the coming week. 424 00:21:52,540 –> 00:21:57,540 Just think how relaxed you could be 425 00:21:57,640 –> 00:22:01,439 if one day, if you could just have one of God’s days 426 00:22:01,439 –> 00:22:03,040 that is like 1,000 years. 427 00:22:03,040 –> 00:22:05,599 Just think of how much at ease you would be. 428 00:22:05,599 –> 00:22:08,119 You say, I have all the time in the world. 429 00:22:08,119 –> 00:22:09,719 That is how it is with God. 430 00:22:12,359 –> 00:22:15,119 That’s why he’s a perfect piece, you see. 431 00:22:15,119 –> 00:22:18,180 See, you think about your loved ones who do not believe, 432 00:22:19,020 –> 00:22:21,180 and you have been calling out to God, 433 00:22:21,180 –> 00:22:23,719 you’ve been crying to him, you’ve been praying to him, 434 00:22:23,719 –> 00:22:26,359 you’ve been saying, how long, O Lord? 435 00:22:26,359 –> 00:22:27,359 You have been feeling 436 00:22:27,359 –> 00:22:29,680 that you have been crying to him forever 437 00:22:29,680 –> 00:22:31,640 and waiting forever to see God move. 438 00:22:31,739 –> 00:22:33,119 Be encouraged. 439 00:22:35,599 –> 00:22:40,020 God can do more in the life of your dear rebel one 440 00:22:41,040 –> 00:22:42,439 in one moment 441 00:22:43,380 –> 00:22:46,000 than Satan can do in his or her life 442 00:22:46,000 –> 00:22:47,939 in 20 or 50 years. 443 00:22:47,939 –> 00:22:48,939 Isn’t that true? 444 00:22:49,800 –> 00:22:51,099 Thank God for that. 445 00:22:52,719 –> 00:22:54,319 And he has all the time in the world. 446 00:22:54,319 –> 00:22:56,079 He is eternal with God, 447 00:22:56,079 –> 00:22:57,920 one day is like a thousand years 448 00:22:57,920 –> 00:22:59,760 and a thousand years as one day. 449 00:22:59,939 –> 00:23:00,800 He has never rushed, 450 00:23:00,800 –> 00:23:02,099 he is never overwhelmed, 451 00:23:02,099 –> 00:23:04,020 he is never taken by surprise 452 00:23:04,020 –> 00:23:06,719 and if we can take in this great truth, 453 00:23:06,719 –> 00:23:10,160 we will have less fear about the secular world 454 00:23:11,739 –> 00:23:13,060 and more peace 455 00:23:14,459 –> 00:23:15,780 as we trust him 456 00:23:17,280 –> 00:23:19,099 to work in the lives of those 457 00:23:20,239 –> 00:23:21,359 for whom we pray. 458 00:23:23,199 –> 00:23:24,199 God is eternal. 459 00:23:26,619 –> 00:23:28,020 Then God is patient. 460 00:23:28,979 –> 00:23:31,180 Look at the beginning of verse 9, will you? 461 00:23:32,020 –> 00:23:37,020 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise 462 00:23:37,660 –> 00:23:39,880 as some understand slowness. 463 00:23:41,000 –> 00:23:44,400 He is patient with you. 464 00:23:46,000 –> 00:23:48,319 Now, Peter moves almost imperceptibly 465 00:23:48,319 –> 00:23:51,819 from the eternity of God to the patience of God 466 00:23:51,819 –> 00:23:54,260 and of course, the connection is very obvious. 467 00:23:54,959 –> 00:23:59,959 Peter says the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise. 468 00:24:00,380 –> 00:24:02,420 What is the promise he’s referring to? 469 00:24:02,420 –> 00:24:04,400 Well, the promise here clearly is the promise 470 00:24:04,400 –> 00:24:09,400 to judge the earth with fire as he once judged the earth 471 00:24:09,459 –> 00:24:10,800 in the flood with water. 472 00:24:10,800 –> 00:24:13,260 That’s the context of this great statement. 473 00:24:14,560 –> 00:24:17,099 Now, when the verse is about judgment, 474 00:24:17,099 –> 00:24:19,560 the context is about judgment and the promise 475 00:24:19,560 –> 00:24:22,500 that God has made of judgment, that the unbeliever says, 476 00:24:22,560 –> 00:24:24,819 well of course, that will never happen. 477 00:24:24,819 –> 00:24:27,199 You would expect the verse to say, 478 00:24:27,199 –> 00:24:30,819 God is not slow in keeping his promise, 479 00:24:30,819 –> 00:24:34,800 but he is patient with the unbelieving world. 480 00:24:34,800 –> 00:24:36,079 You’d expect it say that. 481 00:24:36,079 –> 00:24:39,119 At least I would, but I want you to notice 482 00:24:39,119 –> 00:24:40,579 that’s not what it says. 483 00:24:41,699 –> 00:24:43,739 In talking about the judgment that will one day 484 00:24:43,739 –> 00:24:45,540 come upon the world, it says, 485 00:24:45,540 –> 00:24:48,719 God is not slow in keeping his promise. 486 00:24:49,479 –> 00:24:52,099 He is patient with you. 487 00:24:53,959 –> 00:24:56,140 And he’s writing to Christian believers. 488 00:24:58,060 –> 00:25:00,000 Now think about what this is saying then, 489 00:25:00,000 –> 00:25:04,260 God is not slow in keeping his promise of judgment. 490 00:25:05,119 –> 00:25:08,900 He is patient with you, 491 00:25:10,000 –> 00:25:15,000 all those who today are in Jesus Christ. 492 00:25:16,699 –> 00:25:17,880 See if we asked this question, 493 00:25:18,040 –> 00:25:21,420 why has the Lord Jesus Christ not yet come? 494 00:25:21,420 –> 00:25:22,739 And the answer, 495 00:25:23,839 –> 00:25:27,339 God has held back his judgment 496 00:25:27,339 –> 00:25:31,280 long enough to bring you into his kingdom. 497 00:25:31,280 –> 00:25:32,699 That’s what Peter is seeing. 498 00:25:34,160 –> 00:25:35,479 It’s staggering. 499 00:25:37,800 –> 00:25:41,880 You held back the return of your son, dear Lord, 500 00:25:41,880 –> 00:25:44,500 you held back the outpouring of judgment 501 00:25:44,500 –> 00:25:48,500 on the earth long enough to bring me in. 502 00:25:52,020 –> 00:25:53,939 See, that is a measure of the love 503 00:25:53,939 –> 00:25:55,579 and the grace and the mercy 504 00:25:55,579 –> 00:26:00,579 and the particular grace of Jesus Christ towards you. 505 00:26:03,719 –> 00:26:06,420 Peter even includes every believer in this. 506 00:26:08,020 –> 00:26:11,319 Oh, God operates on the grand eternal scale, 507 00:26:11,339 –> 00:26:15,660 but he also operates on the most intimate level. 508 00:26:17,819 –> 00:26:20,739 And into this great plan for the whole history 509 00:26:20,739 –> 00:26:25,000 of the world is his grace to you. 510 00:26:27,439 –> 00:26:30,880 Think about the patience of God in your life. 511 00:26:33,380 –> 00:26:36,300 If one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, 512 00:26:36,300 –> 00:26:40,380 my lifetime if it runs to 70 years or whatever, 513 00:26:40,939 –> 00:26:42,660 it’ll be about 25 million years. 514 00:26:44,660 –> 00:26:46,300 That is an awfully long time for God 515 00:26:46,300 –> 00:26:47,500 to be patient with me. 516 00:26:50,020 –> 00:26:52,239 Our sins have gone on a long, long, long, 517 00:26:52,239 –> 00:26:54,640 long, long time on Heaven’s clock, haven’t they? 518 00:26:57,020 –> 00:26:59,780 Week by week, we come back here casting ourselves 519 00:26:59,780 –> 00:27:01,540 on the mercy of God, eating bread, 520 00:27:01,540 –> 00:27:05,219 and drinking the cup, and saying that we still hang today 521 00:27:05,219 –> 00:27:08,180 on the cleaning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 522 00:27:08,180 –> 00:27:10,020 And we know that we always will. 523 00:27:10,420 –> 00:27:12,579 Doesn’t it just amaze you that God has never, 524 00:27:12,579 –> 00:27:14,540 at any time, and never will at any time, 525 00:27:14,540 –> 00:27:16,180 say, oh, I’m done with them. 526 00:27:19,739 –> 00:27:20,900 Now, here’s the application 527 00:27:20,900 –> 00:27:22,579 to the great theme of the chapter. 528 00:27:24,479 –> 00:27:28,540 Since God has shown that kind of patience to you 529 00:27:28,540 –> 00:27:30,439 on Heaven’s timescale, 530 00:27:33,040 –> 00:27:36,099 you can be patient in real time 531 00:27:37,640 –> 00:27:39,660 with that unbelieving loved one, 532 00:27:40,839 –> 00:27:44,439 or that heart-bitten cynic at work. 533 00:27:46,959 –> 00:27:51,000 God is patient, and He’s been patient, 534 00:27:51,000 –> 00:27:55,380 and is patient with you, is what Peter says. 535 00:27:56,680 –> 00:27:59,020 Thank you, Lord, for your patience with me. 536 00:28:00,520 –> 00:28:03,160 He’s eternal, He’s patient, 537 00:28:03,160 –> 00:28:05,040 and here’s the very last thing. 538 00:28:05,040 –> 00:28:07,359 God is merciful, He’s merciful. 539 00:28:08,300 –> 00:28:09,939 The last part of chapter nine. 540 00:28:09,939 –> 00:28:11,339 The Lord is not… 541 00:28:11,339 –> 00:28:12,239 Verse nine, I’m sorry. 542 00:28:12,239 –> 00:28:14,599 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, 543 00:28:14,599 –> 00:28:17,339 as some understand slowness. 544 00:28:17,339 –> 00:28:22,339 He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, 545 00:28:24,739 –> 00:28:29,140 but everyone to come to repentance. 546 00:28:29,140 –> 00:28:33,079 Now, what a marvelous, marvelous statement this is 547 00:28:33,079 –> 00:28:34,979 of the mercy of God. 548 00:28:35,000 –> 00:28:40,000 God does not want anyone to perish. 549 00:28:42,719 –> 00:28:43,579 What does it mean? 550 00:28:45,400 –> 00:28:50,400 Well, it can’t mean that everyone will ultimately be saved. 551 00:28:51,939 –> 00:28:53,359 And the reason that it can’t mean 552 00:28:53,359 –> 00:28:56,199 that everyone will ultimately be saved… 553 00:28:56,199 –> 00:28:57,560 If you just look at verse seven, 554 00:28:57,560 –> 00:28:59,680 Peter has just said that the heavens and earth 555 00:28:59,680 –> 00:29:02,079 are reserved for fire, and that on that day 556 00:29:02,099 –> 00:29:05,939 thee will be the destruction of ungodly men. 557 00:29:05,939 –> 00:29:08,180 And throughout the Bible there are clear 558 00:29:08,180 –> 00:29:10,979 and repeated references to the judgment of God, 559 00:29:10,979 –> 00:29:13,560 and not simply the judgment of God upon the earth, 560 00:29:13,560 –> 00:29:16,020 but the judgment of God upon all sin 561 00:29:16,020 –> 00:29:18,599 and upon ungodliness, the destruction, 562 00:29:18,599 –> 00:29:20,859 verse seven, of ungodly men. 563 00:29:20,859 –> 00:29:22,660 We have to interpret the scripture in the light 564 00:29:22,660 –> 00:29:26,219 of scripture because God does not contradict himself. 565 00:29:26,219 –> 00:29:29,780 So when Peter says that God does not want anyone to perish, 566 00:29:29,880 –> 00:29:32,680 he is not saying everybody will be saved. 567 00:29:32,680 –> 00:29:33,819 What is he saying? 568 00:29:34,719 –> 00:29:36,160 I think he’s saying this. 569 00:29:38,880 –> 00:29:42,660 The Old Testament, there’s a phrase that’s repeated 570 00:29:42,660 –> 00:29:45,020 three or four times in the Book of Ezekiel. 571 00:29:47,280 –> 00:29:52,280 God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. 572 00:29:53,520 –> 00:29:56,199 We find that in Ezekiel chapter 18, verse 23, 573 00:29:56,199 –> 00:29:58,939 32, and chapter 33, and verse 11. 574 00:29:58,939 –> 00:30:03,500 God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. 575 00:30:04,540 –> 00:30:05,979 The Bible makes it very clear 576 00:30:05,979 –> 00:30:10,260 that judgment is God’s strange work. 577 00:30:10,260 –> 00:30:13,619 He is slow to anger and abounding in love, 578 00:30:13,619 –> 00:30:15,339 it’s his patience. 579 00:30:15,339 –> 00:30:17,459 His anger, the Bible says, lasts for a moment, 580 00:30:17,459 –> 00:30:19,180 his love for a lifetime. 581 00:30:20,239 –> 00:30:22,979 The Bible says God is love. 582 00:30:22,979 –> 00:30:24,959 That’s his nature. 583 00:30:24,959 –> 00:30:28,599 The Bible never says God is wrath. 584 00:30:28,599 –> 00:30:31,280 Wrath is his strange work, in other words, 585 00:30:31,280 –> 00:30:35,520 God’s wrath is his holy, righteous response 586 00:30:35,520 –> 00:30:37,219 to sin and evil. 587 00:30:38,719 –> 00:30:41,640 God’s love is not a response to anything, 588 00:30:41,640 –> 00:30:45,380 God’s love is the bursting out of who he is. 589 00:30:47,239 –> 00:30:49,800 That’s why the Gospel tells us that God did not 590 00:30:49,800 –> 00:30:52,959 send his son into the world to condemn the world, 591 00:30:53,040 –> 00:30:56,339 you’re not dealing here with an eternal God 592 00:30:56,339 –> 00:30:58,380 who’s eager to condemn. 593 00:31:00,079 –> 00:31:03,319 It’s not his desire, it takes no pleasure 594 00:31:03,319 –> 00:31:05,760 in the death of the wicked. 595 00:31:07,560 –> 00:31:10,119 Pleasure in heaven is over one sinner 596 00:31:10,119 –> 00:31:13,040 that comes to repentance, 597 00:31:13,040 –> 00:31:17,239 God’s delight is in his saving work. 598 00:31:17,939 –> 00:31:21,420 If God takes no pleasure in judgment, 599 00:31:23,040 –> 00:31:26,280 we should take no pleasure in it either. 600 00:31:27,979 –> 00:31:30,680 There is a kind of Christianity that sounds 601 00:31:30,680 –> 00:31:34,439 as if it can’t wait for the judgement of the ungodly. 602 00:31:36,380 –> 00:31:37,780 You’ll get it, 603 00:31:39,780 –> 00:31:42,560 and that could not be further 604 00:31:42,560 –> 00:31:44,219 from the heart of God. 605 00:31:48,060 –> 00:31:49,680 God is merciful, 606 00:31:52,579 –> 00:31:56,920 he offers mercy to you today, that’s his delight. 607 00:31:59,560 –> 00:32:02,180 However long you may have resisted him, 608 00:32:03,180 –> 00:32:06,900 however intensely you may have hated him, 609 00:32:06,900 –> 00:32:10,219 whatever you may have done against him, 610 00:32:11,819 –> 00:32:14,160 there is mercy for you 611 00:32:14,160 –> 00:32:19,160 from this eternal, patient, merciful God in Jesus Christ. 612 00:32:22,319 –> 00:32:23,839 And heaven delights 613 00:32:25,420 –> 00:32:27,560 as men and women come to receive 614 00:32:27,560 –> 00:32:29,579 and embrace this marvelous mercy 615 00:32:29,579 –> 00:32:32,760 for which Jesus Christ has died. 616 00:32:35,540 –> 00:32:40,540 Do you know some of you are struggling to come to Christ 617 00:32:42,680 –> 00:32:43,920 and the root of it 618 00:32:45,119 –> 00:32:47,800 is that you, in the past, have experienced 619 00:32:47,800 –> 00:32:49,560 a brand of religion 620 00:32:50,760 –> 00:32:52,339 that is not patient, 621 00:32:53,560 –> 00:32:55,079 it is not kind, 622 00:32:56,119 –> 00:32:57,599 and it is not merciful, 623 00:32:58,959 –> 00:33:01,599 and that has shaped, within your mind, 624 00:33:01,599 –> 00:33:03,260 a perception of God 625 00:33:05,160 –> 00:33:08,760 as if he could not wait to do you in. 626 00:33:11,439 –> 00:33:13,359 And my prayer this morning, about everything else, 627 00:33:13,359 –> 00:33:16,819 is that you will be redeemed and released from that, 628 00:33:16,819 –> 00:33:18,619 that you will see that’s not God. 629 00:33:19,900 –> 00:33:21,640 This is eternal God, 630 00:33:21,640 –> 00:33:23,619 he’s patient, he is merciful, 631 00:33:23,619 –> 00:33:26,239 for this reason he has sent his son into the world, 632 00:33:26,239 –> 00:33:29,079 for this reason, Christ has not yet come back, 633 00:33:29,079 –> 00:33:30,939 the judgment has not yet followed! 634 00:33:32,319 –> 00:33:36,180 For this reason I can come to him today. 635 00:33:39,119 –> 00:33:41,079 My friend, if you want to know what God is like, 636 00:33:41,560 –> 00:33:43,719 if you look at the cross of Jesus Christ, 637 00:33:45,020 –> 00:33:47,219 you see the eternal God in time, 638 00:33:48,739 –> 00:33:52,119 you see his patience as they nail him to the cross, 639 00:33:52,119 –> 00:33:54,239 you hear his mercy as he says, 640 00:33:54,239 –> 00:33:55,920 Father, forgive them! 641 00:33:57,199 –> 00:33:58,900 They don’t know what they’re doing! 642 00:34:01,119 –> 00:34:04,640 This is your God! 643 00:34:06,239 –> 00:34:10,939 And why would you go on fighting and resisting him? 644 00:34:11,939 –> 00:34:16,179 Lord, now let the patience, and the mercy, 645 00:34:16,179 –> 00:34:20,300 and the love, and the grace of this God in Jesus Christ 646 00:34:20,300 –> 00:34:22,379 draw you to him today. 647 00:34:23,540 –> 00:34:27,739 God is eternal, God is patient, 648 00:34:28,659 –> 00:34:30,360 God is merciful, 649 00:34:32,139 –> 00:34:34,320 and knowing him, you will find in Christ 650 00:34:34,320 –> 00:34:36,899 everything that you need for patience 651 00:34:38,459 –> 00:34:40,500 in this Christ-rejecting world. 652 00:34:41,820 –> 00:34:43,820 Let’s bow before him together, shall we? 653 00:34:49,780 –> 00:34:54,679 We are a moment, you are forever. 654 00:34:57,899 –> 00:35:02,899 Lord of the ages, God before time. 655 00:35:06,939 –> 00:35:09,300 We bow before you almighty father 656 00:35:09,320 –> 00:35:11,679 in name of your son Jesus Christ. 657 00:35:13,560 –> 00:35:16,000 And we bless you for your patience. 658 00:35:17,860 –> 00:35:19,979 We bless you for your mercy. 659 00:35:21,919 –> 00:35:24,840 And in all our need we come to you today 660 00:35:27,120 –> 00:35:31,100 through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.