Series: “VOICES.” - Part 4: “VOICES OF HOPE AND RESCUE” - June 4, 2023

“Voices of Hope and Rescue”

2 Peter 2:4-10a - For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if He did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; … 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10a and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. ESV

So notice with me in our Scriptures today “some reasons” we can have hope and lookfor rescue!

1. An EXAMPLE: A Righteous Man in a Wicked Culture. -

2 Peter 2:7-8 - “…7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);…”ESV

The Conduct of the Wicked Should GREATLY DISTRESS Righteous People. (v7b - “…Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked…”)

Lot had made a poor choice in his life. (See Genesis 13)

Lot had observed enough about God through following Abraham, that Lot knew God, God had made Lot righteous and Lot knew what was right and what was evil…so living in the culture of Sodom and seeing their sinful, sensual conduct greatly distressed him.

Can you related to living in a culture that greatly causes you distress??? If you are a Christian…you should know what is good and what is evil…and the things we are seeing in our culture should greatly distress us! SO WHILE YOU MAY NOT HAVE CHOSEN TO LIVE IN THE UNGODLY CULTURE OF TODAY…YOU CAN CHOOSE HOW CLOSELY YOU ALIGN YOUR LIFE TO CULTURE OR TO GOD’S WILL!

The Conduct of the Wicked Should TORMENT THE SOULS of Righteous People. (v8 - “…(for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);…”).

The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were “laboring, working, being occupied” with lawless, wicked deeds.

Can you related to living in a culture that torments you…tortures you??? IF YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR…IF YOU ALSO KNOW THE WILL OF GOD FROM THE SCRIPTURES…OUR MODERN DAY CULTURE SHOULD TORMENT YOU! Once again…you may have not chosen for our culture to be as wicked as it has become…but you can choose to minimize WHAT YOU HEAR AND WHAT YOU SEE from a wicked culture. LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF GOD INSTEAD OF THE VOICE OF CULTURE WILL MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF CULTURE UPON YOUR LIFE.

HAVE HOPE…GOD RESCUES RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE! (v7a - “…and if He rescued righteous Lot,…”)

BUT CONSIDER THIS…GOD SENT ANGELS TO RESCUE LOT…HE SENT HIS OWN SON TO RESCUE US!!!

THERE IS HOPE IN JESUS…even in a wicked culture! THERE IS RESCUE IN JESUS! Hear the VOICES OF HOPE AND RESCUE FOUND IN CHRIST!

God rescued Noahand his family BEFORE He judged the evil world of that day with a Great Flood! God rescued Lotand his family BEFORE judgement fell upon the Sodom and Gomorrah because of their great wickedness in sexual sin. GOD IS STILL THE SAME GOD AND HE KNOWS HOW TO RESCUE THE GODLY STILL…

2. A PROMISE: God Knows How to Rescue The Godly from Trials -

2 Peter 2:9a - “…then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,… ESV

“…the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,…”

BUT BE SURE YOU APPLY WHAT IS SAID IN THIS VERSE “TO YOUR HERE AND NOW”…TO “YOUR TRIALS!”

KEEP YOUR FOCUS UPON THE LORD AND ALLOW HIS LOVE FOR YOU TO PROVIDE PERSONAL “RESCUE” FOR YOUR LIFE IN THE HERE AND NOW!

LET’S FOCUS ALSO UPON PROMISED FUTURE RESCUE!

THERE IS COMING A TIME WHEN THE LORD WILL RESCUE ALL THOSE WHO ARE HIS AND DRAW THEM TO HIMSELF TO BE LITERALLY WITH HIM…IN HIS PRESENCE!

GOD WILL ONE DAY FULLY RESCUE ALL THOSE WHO ARE HIS AND DRAW THEM TO HIMSELF FOR ALL ETERNITY! HAVE HOPE…A FULL AND FINAL RESCUE IS ON THE WAY!

(See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) (Also the translation of Enoch; the rescue of Noah and Lot; John being called up in Revelation 4; etc…)

3. The TRUTH: God is All-Powerful with All-Authority! -

2 Peter 2:9b-10a - “…and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10a and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. ESV.

GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL! GOD HAS ALL-AUTHORITY!

JUST AS SURELY AS GOD CAN RESCUE THE RIGHTEOUS…GOD CAN KEEP THE UNRIGHTEOUS UNDER PUNISHMENT UNTIL THE DAY OF JUDGMENT! GOD WILL ESPECIALLY JUDGE AND PUNISH THOSE WHO INDULGE IN DEFILING PASSION…

…AND THOSE WHO DESPISE AUTHORITY!

So take heart…have hope…God will judge things exactly righteously and correctly one day.

Hear the voice of hope and rescue!

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9).