The Day of the Lord (Part A)

Just giving us an overview so we can follow what Peter is saying so quick review. Peter says the day of the Lord. He is talking about a future event that has not yet happened not happen in our time yet but it's coming. It's on the prophetic calendar.

When God acts in judgment. That's his point. There is coming a day of judgment. There is coming a comeuppance for the wicked.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick guest Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of second Peter, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of second Peter chapter 3 as he begins his message the day of the Lord. We are in second Peter Peter second letter. Chapter 3 we begin in verse 10, and we will make it to verse 18, at least in the reading, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for the hastening looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God because of which the heavens will be dissolved.

Being on fire and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, without spot and blameless, and consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation is also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him has written to you is also in all his epistles, speaking in them of things in which are some things hard to understand which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction as they do. Also the rest of the Scriptures you, therefore, beloved, since you know this before handy. Where less. You also fall from your steadfastness being led away with the era of the wicked grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. That wasn't long but it might be a little painful to some, the day of the Lord. That is what we are considering this morning and concerning God's judgment. Let's not confuse our standing with God and our state with God, and what I mean by that you may be struggling. You may really be struggling to obey to do the right thing. You love the Lord you want to do what he wants you to do what the flesh being weak as it is, you may be in a time or season in your life. We just struggle. There will that does not mean God is done with you or is annoyed with you, your position with him is solid.

You are his, and I have to point that out because were going to be talking about judgment. The judgment of God, and this judgment that Peter is talking about is for those who reject him. The whole letter has been an and in addressing false teachers in the church and he's saying this is where it's all going. John's Gospel Jesus said this would Peter would certainly have been mindful of to his last day on earth. He who believes in the son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. Now I happen to agree with Christ, everything he says I don't try to I need to edit that and redact what God has said, because he is God is God the son and every bit invincible self begotten holy, beautiful, wonderful and splendid all in him when he says it, that's the way it is. I have no problem with that.

Neither should you who believe.

Now if you do not believe you should have a big problem with yourself in the presence of these these words so that's a brief introduction let's roll on because we've got a lot to cover whenever there's prophecy on the table. We have to review and exams over. Let's look at verse 10 but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

While that's I think of the church to hear that someone might say, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night they will see it coming.

The unbeliever will not see these events as they approach with the believers will because this day of the Lord has a broad meaning in Scripture, it is not in this context, a 24 hour period. This is a long period of time rather than a single day, and as Peter is using it here it's over a thousand years long. Within it is the seven year great great tribulation.

And will get to that in a minute. Most references speak of future events. When you turn into your turn your old Old Testament Bibles of turn to your Old Testament Bibles you read about the day of the Lord. Most of them are future, but there are five of them that describe events that have passed and you'll find that in Isaiah and Jeremiah and lamentation and lamentations and Ezekiel were not going to go into that now because we're not doing it an in-depth study on the meaning of the last day just giving us an overview so we can follow what Peter is saying so quick review. Peter says the day of the Lord. He is talking about a future event that has not yet happened and not happen in our time yet but it's coming. It's on the prophetic calendar is a.

When God acts in judgment. That's his point.

There is coming a day of judgment. There is coming a comeuppance for the wicked. And of course of this being attached to the false teachers that were invading and clobbering the church from inside and of course the apostle doing what he was supposed to to do above sounding the alarm and arming believers to defend against them, as we should do today.

All of us. So within our Bibles.

There is built in this prophetic calendar. It is a timeline timeline of events without specific dates.

The dates are left out the events. Those are included in that those can be identified and otherwise we would not it would release help us much to know that these things were coming, but but not knowing about when and why Peter uses this expression to pinpoint the final judgment that involves humanity, he goes all the way past the speaking past the millennial kingdom. The kingdom age of Christ and will come to that. Also, so the date it is includes the day of big Jacob's trouble when Israel will be judged in a remnant of the Jews will be saved before the kingdom age begins. Let me give you an overview of this prophetic calendar. Now many Bible students: the dispensations I don't. I prefer not that word. I prefer the word. The period of time I try to use the language I use everywhere else. And instead of Chino sharing the gospel with someone and saying to them, you know, there's a dispensation and losing them. It's a period of time and their marked out on the calendar. The first, as we look at all Scripture is pre-creation before God created it before Genesis 11 God existed in the Angels with their and other things that we don't know about. But then there is the Edenic age the next. That is the time and even when man and woman were created and of course they fell into into sin and were cast out the garden of Eden.

Now that you can do this calendar many ways you can put details in it.this is not the only overview that exists. Some go quite into detail as I'll do a little bit on next period of time after pre-creation than the Vincent in the garden of Eden, then you have the age of the Gentiles. Wallace break that down just in two points because we could do more what you have before the flood of Noah and after the flood of Noah.

Then comes the age of Israel. Again, you could break that down into the kingdom age that you just could could do that would not going to after the age of Israel comes the age of the church. That's what we are now God's prophetic clock on his timeline of events leading up to a new heavens and a new earth. We are in the church age. It is the day of salvation.

It is the day of grace. Second Corinthians chapter 6, verse two, for he says in an acceptable time I have heard you in the day of salvation I have helped you, behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. You play with salvation all you want. You need to be reminded. Satan is not plain. He hates your guts hates the guts of every single believe unbeliever and believer alike when he uses in unbeliever. He still hates that unbeliever is determined to damn their soul forever is out of his mind. He is dangerous he is serious he is for real. And if you don't believe it. You will be his child is what comes down to, or you can line up with the creator who loves the sinner in spite of the sin reaches out to extend his love through his people was very serious about saving souls. So much so he is willing to let his believers died telling about his salvation is willing to not spare them, misery and sorrow, and all the junk that Satan can throw at us if it will bring souls to Christ will next is the day of Christ when the age of the church with the day of the cross of Christ comes. It's like that it's it's not long. It's called the rapture of the church.

Second Thessalonians chapter 2, not soon to be shaken in mind or troubled because those believers were the war feared that they worried that they missed of the rapture.

They were new believers and they didn't really understand prophecy yet in an Paul trying to break it down for them. He sends a second letter nieces don't be shaken in minor trouble. It has not come yet he continues, either by spiritual but word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had, they had worried that they missed the rapture and that's why he lays it out for them in first Corinthians 4 verses 13 through 18 for us and then in the second letter, he begins to clarify some of the things in each thoughts about well before that day comes. This is going to have nothing happen and then after that will come this beast. The man of perdition, so the rapture of the church the day of the Lord begins when that rapture takes place. It also begins the great tribulation. It is sort of like the Passover feast and the feast of unleavened bread. They they merged as you are having the Passover as the sun was setting. The next feast was was beginning and end of a distrust segued one into the other and so the rapture will bring in the great tribulation. Our Lord gave us that term such tribulation as the world has never seen Christ is telling humanity point lacunae seemed nothing like this and it is unmatched. There is no arrival in human history, and there will not be a rival for the misery that will be unleashed on people who have from their nosed at the gospel of Jesus Christ. What a great tribulation. The worst part begins in the split in half with you. The first part is trouble. There are extraordinary events taking place.

Not good, but the second half is a seven year period that 3 1/2 years of the last period will really be bad especially for Israel, and thus it is also called the time of Jacob's trouble.

When Antichrist tries to rid the planet of Jewish people. Then comes, of course, the kingdom age. It ends the great tribulation. When Christ returns physically and establishes his kingdom on the earth but sets it up in Jerusalem.

We will be with him. When that happens, new Jerusalem will be here. Sort of like hanging out over over the planet is going to be is kind of like, well, I can't believe I just said it's kinda like you have an 11-year-old boys think it's like it's like what anyway I hope if you're in your 20s, you're not still doing that anyway. It's like I'm outta here now because you said that 12 the kingdom age that last for about a thousand years. Satan's locked up the righteously here governing with the Lord Jesus Christ there be many people born during that thousand year time sickness and death will be almost nonexistent.

You can imagine the population explosion during the kingdom age.

Well, those people born in that kingdom age would not have been exposed to the temptation of the devil. How we going to know what they really love the Lord, or they just forced to serve him well. God's going to find that out and Satan will be again released for a little while and he will. He will gather to him. A significant amount of people and they will be dealt with instantly that then issues in the new heavens and the new earth that Peter is referring to here. It concludes what we now know as human history, and with it, God will wipe the universe the physical universe clean and start again.

I want to start again. Don't think of the rocky planets enough for space is a mess.

I could get away.

The thousand years would valid.

Not at all. God can create something in a matured state which drives the evolutionist wacky when he created Adam and Eve mean Adam was matured yet but may have had his wisdom teeth and for example it's it's no problem for God to create the universe already according to scientific measurement at 2 billion years old. They can create a mature universe so anyway those aside knows we don't charge you extra for that we could so the day of the Lord. And then Peter says that this at the end of this judgment because before he wipes the planet clean. That's what he's going to talk about the fervent heat need going to give us will detail on this, but he says in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise which we would be expected. I mean how you blow up Mars quietly because God's got a silencer tested on this planet alone stated all the tunnels that are he all the cables and junk in the end, and only on the seabed's. I mean it was God doing that stuff.

And if you like any your truck, your your your furniture your stuff.

You have at home and be burned up eventually gone. That's okay, you get to use it for a lifetime and it will end up though but but see if we knew in the rapture was coming. We would be doing goofy things I would have a big sign outside my house.

Don't touch myself. Be back in seven years and so because as you know I don't want you doing that, store the waste of signage at anyway have put up a sign in glory all have hair again blessing of God. My see not, like the ball guys keep him around.

Feel it is now in which the heavens will pass away with great noise.

Nowhere is this unless we been talking about.

It is at the very end of the prophetic calendar. Peter goes right to the and I'm a surprise at the gun he got. He was a good on all of the details escape the fact that the fissionable cut of Oedipus Ellis want Scotus. I'm not surprised his style. Paul would've given us a couple of chapters, Peter says you So you can read about this new heavens and earth in Revelation chapter 20 and verse 21 will will take Revelation 21 verse one John writes now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away as the physical earth, and the physical skies gone terminating the millennial. It is the millennial in the reign of Christ terminates when crisis okay were done here. We have populated eternity with all the people that are ever going to believe God of their free will.

Now we can clean this place up and start fresh and Peter is going to say we should be longing for this kind of stuff we should be desiring that day when there's no more curse. This no more wickedness anywhere in us or anybody else, and that's were his encouragements come in. It will be a cataclysmic surprise as a thief in the night and disappointment for those on the earth who have mock the Lord overwhelming judgment. Now it has its delays. God's prophecies, they have their delays but they happen and there are those that stop it at the prophetic word.

They scoff at the king of the word song two was ready for that. Way back then. The psalmist was inspired by the Holy Spirit to say God gets the last laugh all the time. You can Skype you can mock you can do your dirt. But in the end you will stand before him without exception, those who have rejected him will stand before him unto condemnation and those who have accepted him will stand before him. Also, and be judged according to our works, I plan to have a doppelgänger that is a look-alike stand-in for me to take the heavy stuff and then I'll take the blessings it may cost me right, how can you not have a little levity on these things. I mean is so much hidden from us. But God says the governor had a lot but understand this is going to be glorious.

You make sure you are there. This is one of those so many reasons why we love the Lord love him. Where will you be on that day on the day when God creates a new heavens and a new earth, where will you be because the soul lives forever where well that's up to each individual may marked nor we know the story we have the story so we are forewarned and, therefore, to be forewarned is to be for armed lot. They mocked him to mock the Disciples of Christ.

They mocked Paul and they mock us that that should not bother us one bit. It should cause us to say we have been down this road before we know how to handle it.

We stay focused on our mission to love and honor the Lord and to preach the truth now would get the truth through a number getting out promising a lot of things will I deliver.

If you listen fast enough we can get through this. The elements will melt with fervent heat, the elements, things that are created so that is such a thing as climate change, but it's God made not man-made.

What a hoax and of any of you are falling in for that I do have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn get you good price on it to see me after service. I give you the deed anyway. The elements at any on this.

Mostly I think our younger generation will try there trying to brainwash you to tell you this way the live wake up everyone would melt were all going to melt because of pickup trucks and cows is stupid but it works for Satan so it's not a joke as odd as it is anyway. Annihilation of the earth melt here in verse 10. In the Greek is to dissolve only point that out because the English Bibles.

Most of them will translate that same word melt. We get to verse 12 and there's a different Greek word means to liquefy the bottom line, Peter is saying everything will be dealt with.

It will end up beyond ash. You will not find evidence of it. And these at the command of God. This physical universe will be in the beginning God created the heavens and earth and in the end God will do away with the heavens and the earth and give us something new. Are these the physical wheel will be spiritual wrath understand that you only talk about going down to see old. For example that's relative to heaven, not earth. It's a spiritual round bars the earth is concerned is not an up or down matter, geographically speaking character. Of course this is both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up and there's the proof. Everything is gone. That's all we have time for. On today's edition of cross reference radio you've been listening to Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia as he teaches through the book of second Peter if you'd like to listen to more messages from this series or if you'd like more information about this program please visit our website cross reference radio.com.

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