“A Sign of The Times ”
Week 6
2 Peter 3:10-18
Verse of the Week
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
2 Peter 3:18
Main Idea:
We should live each day in light of that day, the return of the Lord.
Vs. 10-18
Peter is giving us one more warning that Jesus is coming back soon. He uses the analogy of a thief. This is the same analogy that Jesus gave in Matthew chapter 4. Jesus said, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” The truth is, no thief will ever tell you when they are coming. We don’t know when Jesus will come back but scripture is clear that He will and it will be soon.
As a believer, we can look forward to the coming back of Jesus. There is an eternal reward for believers awaiting on the other side of this life. There are many scriptures that give us a picture of what we are going to experience in heaven. John tells us in Revelation 21:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”” The best thing about heaven is that we will get to spend eternity with Jesus! It is awesome to think about heaven and what it is going to be like. However, knowing that Jesus may come back at any moment, Peter urges us to be ready but we shouldn’t be just sitting around looking toward the sky. Peter uses the words “make every effort” again, which is a common phrase in his letter. He said to make every effort to be found spotless and blameless and at peace when Jesus comes back. How do we do that? The answer is found in verse 18. He said to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Apart from Jesus, there is no way we can be found spotless, blameless and have peace. When we surrender our lives to Jesus as Lord and Savior, he takes our sin and covers us with His righteousness. He makes us spotless and blameless. He is the one that gives us peace. The life of a christian is a life of surrender. It’s not just a one time surrender. It is surrendering every single day. This is how we start growing in our our relationship with Jesus and it is how we continue growing in our relationship with Him.
Not only should we be growing in our relationship with Jesus, we should be wanting others to grow into their relationship with Him too. Peter’s letter addresses us as “brothers and sisters”, and “dear friends” multiple times. Peter realized that his life was coming to an end and that he would be seeing Jesus face to face. The whole letter is written with an urgency to point us to Jesus. How about your brothers and sisters (family)? How about your friends? Do you have an urgency to share with them the good news? Jesus is coming soon!
Discussion Questions:
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What did the Holy Spirit teach you through this passage?
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If you knew that Jesus was coming back tomorrow, how would this affect your life?
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What does the Lord’s patience (vs 15) mean to all of us?
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In verse 18, we are told to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How can we do this?
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Who is someone in your life that we as a group can be praying for for salvation?
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What is your next step?
Important Announcements:
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First Annual Men's Breakfast. February 25th 7AM at the Icehouse.