Get Ready

2 Peter 3:1-18

January 27, 2008 – ©Rev. Dr. Linnea E. Carnes

Introduction

How much of your life do you spend getting ready – ready for something?

§ Each morning we get up and “get ready” for school or work or taking care of children or running errands.

§ We get ready for meals – planning, shopping, cooking.

§ We get ready for a wedding, having a new baby, moving into a new house, starting college or a new job.

§ We get ready for a birthday celebration, for vacation, for Christmas.

§ We get ready for bed, ready for retirement.

Each week, I spend time getting ready to teach a Bible study or confirmation. I get ready for worship, ready to preach a sermon, ready to celebrate a baptism or the Lord ’s Supper. Often I spend more time getting ready than I actually spend doing the activity for which I’ve gotten ready.

Much of life takes preparation. If we don’t prepare for what is coming up, we won’t be ready. Whether we are ready or not, school, work, weddings, babies, birthdays, or Christmas all happen. Sunday happens whether we are ready or not. However, being ready for such things makes them less stressful, more enjoyable.

In this third chapter of Peter’s second letter, he is reminding his readers that they need to get ready for God’s return. Preparation is required if we want to face our God and Savior without fear and trembling, but with true joy.

God Is Getting Ready For Us

Peter also reminds us that God has been getting ready for us. The words of the prophets tell us what God has done to get ready. The words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as told by his apostles tell us what God is doing. These words are true because God’s word is truth.

These words tell us of a God who created the world by his Word. God’s creation was incredibly beautiful, a place of peace and safety for all God’s creatures.

However, man and woman disobeyed God, challenged God’s authority. They corrupted God’s beautiful creation. So, God, by whose word the waters parted and formed the earth, spoke and the waters again covered the face of the earth and destroyed all humans except Noah and his family.

God then gave his word that he would never again flood the entire world. “By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” [2Pet3:7].

God called to men and women through his word to the prophets, telling them to get ready – to live for him. God gave Moses the Law to show people how they could live godly lives. Yet men and women continued to disobey God and challenge God’s authority.

So God provided a way for people to know him and be reunited with him. He sent his Son, Jesus, the Word of God, who came in the flesh [Jn1:14]. Jesus spoke God’s Word to the people. Jesus told people of God’s love for them and how God was getting ready for them.

Yet, Jesus did more than tell people of God’s love for them. Jesus showed them God’s love “in that while they were still sinners Christ died for them” [Rom5:8].

[Jesus] “himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might die to sins and live for righteousness” [1Pet2:24]. In our sinfulness we deserve death, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” [Rom6:23]. Since we have been freed from sin, we can live forever with our God.

First Peter 1:3-6, says that God, in his great mercy, has given us hope for our future with him. God has promised us an inheritance that is safely waiting for us. God is able to protect us so that we can one day be home with God. Even though we don’t know when this will be, we have hope because God keeps his promises.

We live in a world where time controls our lives. Most people sleep during the night and work during the day. If we work or go to school, we have to pay attention to a clock. We have time limits and deadlines. If we want to talk to someone in a country on the other side of the world, we have to know what time it is there.

However, God is beyond time, outside of time. So “with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” [2Pet3:8b]. Yet, God will return at the right time to judge the world. God’s timing depends on people, since God’s plan is to bring us back home. God is waiting for some to repent, to turn back to God, to live godly lives [v.9].

Peter wrote, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed” [v.10].

We Need to Get Ready for God

Peter then says, “Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness” [v.11].

Since God has been getting ready for us – planning our return, sending his Son to show us the way, showing us his love and faithfulness – are we getting ready for God?

We spend lots of time preparing for events in our lives that will, for the most part, pass away without anyone noticing, but are we preparing for eternity?

If Jesus returned today,

§ if the Day of the Lord was today,

§ if God’s judgment on the world were to happen today,

would you be ready?

What does it mean to you to “be ready” for God’s return? As we have looked at 2^nd Peter, we have found several ideas that can help us get ready.

Chapter one tells us we need to keep growing. God has given us everything we need to keep growing, and to become godly people.

§ We have been set free from sin through Jesus’ death on the cross.

§ We have been given eternal life through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

§ We have been given the power to overcome sin and death through the work of the Holy Spirit, which is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ.

§ We have been given the Word of God to remind us of all Jesus taught and did to show us the way to God and show us how to live godly lives.

So we have no excuse for not living lives that please God. Keep Growing!

Chapter one also tells us that the apostles have passed on to Peter’s readers the Good News of Jesus Christ. Because they were eye witnesses to all that Jesus said and did, their testimony is reliable – it is true. So each one who hears this Word should also pass it on to others.

Those who have heard the Good News must “Speak Up!”

Keep telling people about God’s promises:

§ his promise of the forgiveness of sins;

§ his promise of eternal life;

§ his promise of the Holy Spirit;

§ his promises found in the Word of God;

§ his promise of returning to claim his own;

§ his promise to judge the world.

ü Tell people what Jesus has done for you.

ü Tell people what Jesus can do for them.

ü Tell people how much God loves them.

ü Tell people not to miss out on God’s great promises.

ü Tell them to “speak up” about what God does for them.

In chapter two Peter warns his readers to watch out for false teachers and false teaching. False teachers will turn people away from God and cause them to fall. They will confuse people with words that sound true but are not. If we are not to be led astray by false teaching, we must “know the truth.” We must know what God’s Word says. Unless we know the truth, we will not be able to know when someone is telling us something that is not true.

We must read the Bible, study the Bible, memorize parts of the Bible. God’s Word must be our guide, for God’s Word will guide us into the truth. “Know the Truth.”

Ø We have everything we need to keep growing in godliness.

Ø We have everything we need to tell others what Jesus has done for us.

Ø We have everything we need to know the truth of God’s Word.

So are you ready?

Conclusion

Peter wrote, “In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” [v.13]. Are you looking forward to this new heaven and new earth?

Author and professor Lewis Smedes would ask his students if they wanted to go to heaven when they died. Everyone would raise a hand. Then he’d ask, “Be honest now, who would like to go today?” A few would raise their hands slowly, giving what they thought was the right answer, looking around to see if they were the only ones. Most students wanted to wait. They were ready to die – just not today. Then Professor Smedes would ask who would like to see the world set straight once and for all – tomorrow: “No more common colds, no more uncommon cancers. Hungry people would have plenty; no one would harm another person; we would be at peace with everyone, even with ourselves. Anybody interested in that?” The whole class would raise their hand. Then Smedes would say that if that new world is what you really want, then heaven’s where you’d like to be. [PreachingToday.com, “Do You Want Heaven Now?” John Ortberg, “Our Secret Fears about Heaven,” Today’s Christian Woman (July/Aug, 2003), pp.39-40)].

In verse 14 Peter says, “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”

Make every effort to keep growing in godliness. Include in your daily time of “getting ready”, a time of getting ready for God. Spend time in God’s Word. Spend time talking with God.

Ø Look forward to seeing what God has prepared for you.

Ø Look forward to the day when you will be with God, who will wipe away every tear from your eyes; when death will be no more, mourning and crying and pain will be no more. [Rev.21:3-4].

Ø Look forward to being with God who loves you so much he even died for you.

Ø Look forward to seeing God’s smile when you stand before him.

Ø Look forward to an eternity of joy with Jesus Christ.

So, get ready!

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now & forever! Amen”

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This sermon is copyright ©2008 by Rev. Dr. Linnea E. Carnes, Immanuel Evangelical Covenant Church, Chicago, Illinois.