May 25, 2008
Sun Oak Baptist Church
Introduction
May God give us the grace to grasp and appreciate the emphasis that Peter, our Lord, and the rest of the NT authors place on the importance of God’s Word in the Christian life.
2nd Peter chapter 3 deals primarily with the Second Coming of Christ. In fact, as some of us may remember, one-third of this letter is devoted to that very topic – which gives us an indication of how important this doctrine was to Peter. The doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ is so important to New Testament theology that 1-out-of-every-30 verses in the NT is devoted to it and 25 out of the 27 books in the NT refers to it.
Question: is it possible that the scoffers and their mocking have effected the church today – some 2,000 years later? Question: when is the last time we thought about the return of Christ? Are we ready for His return? Are we anticipating His return? Are we eager for His return?
We can be certain that Jesus is coming again and be rest assured there will always be scoffers who will be mocking His return. Peter exposes their methodology and then responds to their mocking.
I. Why would the doctrine of the Second Coming be so important to Peter?
A. Reason #1: because of the conditions under which the Christians Peter was writing to lived.
1. Compare the country and conditions under which we live with the conditions under which the Christians Peter was writing to were living under. See 1:6-9 and 4:12-14.
2. Peter’s first letter deals with threats to Christians coming from outside the church (primarily in the form of the Roman government), and his second letter deals with threats coming from inside the church – primarily in the form of false teachers.
B. Reason #2: the early church longed for the return of Christ.
1. “The hope of Christ’s coming was of paramount importance to the early church – its certainty was so real that they would greet one another with the term ‘maranatha’ meaning ‘Lord, come quickly.’ Instead of being frightened by the possibility (of Christ’s return) they clung to it as the culmination of everything they believed…” 1
1 Nathan Busenitz in Living a Life of Hope (Ulrichsville, Ohio: Barbour Books, 2003), p. 122.
2. The certainty of Christ’s return confronts us with this question: how important is it to us? What does the Second Coming mean to us? See Titus 2:11-14 & Rom 8:22-23.
C. Reason #3: the Second Coming of Christ is the great climax of salvation history. See Matt. 25:31-46; 2nd Thess. 2:1-12; Rev. 20:6; 1st Thess. 4:13-18; and Isa. 9:6-7.
D. Reason #4: the devil recognizes the importance of this doctrine and the ramifications of this doctrine in the life of Christians.
II. What are the 3 ways that the scoffers of Peter’s day were mocking the Second Coming? See 3:3-4.
A. The scoffers were mocking the doctrine of the Second Coming by ridiculing it. See 3:4.
1. The word “scoffer” refers back to the false teachers of chapter 2. One primary technique that false teachers use when they teach is to intimidate people through contemptuous mocking and sarcastic ridicule.
2. The phrase “knowing this first” is not referring to chronological sequence here, but rather to first priority.
3. The term “last days” refers to the time between Christ’s first coming and His second coming.
B. The first way that false teachers call into question the doctrine of the Second Coming is by ridiculing it – that’s blaspheme.
Note: this message will be continued next Lord’s Day – should the Lord tarry and He be willing!
Conclusion
The doctrine of the Second Coming confirms that there is a plan of salvation for mankind.
The doctrine of the Second Coming reminds us about the reality and the terrible power of evil. Christ’s return emphasizes the inevitable conflict between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light.
The doctrine of the Second Coming tells us how the conflict between good and evil will end.
We can know something for certain this morning. We may not know when America will be attacked again; we may not know who our next president will be or what the consequences of that presidency will be, but we can know this for certain: whatever may happen; whatever may take place; whenever it takes place and however it takes place the plan of salvation guarantees that the kingdom of God is coming and that the King of kings and the Lord of lords is going to triumph and prevail!
It’s no wonder the scoffers that are mockers mock the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ because it is a doctrine that gives us glorious comfort: whatever may lie ahead of us; if we are in Christ we know that the ultimate end is safe and sure. The Bible is clear: as long as sin remains in this world, there will be trouble. But a final cataclysmic event is coming – and it’s not “if” – it’s only “when.”