II Peter 3:10-18
“This World Is Winding Down”

Introduction
1. Church Age…Rapture…Tribulation…Millennium…New Heavens…
2. This old world is winding down.
2. II Peter 3:10-18 answers two very important questions:
I. HOW WILL IT END? 3:10, 12, 13
II. HOW SHOULD WE LIVE? 3:11, 14-18

I. HOW WILL IT END? 3:10, 12, 13
A. Surprisingly 10a
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.
1.The Day The Lord’s Day signifies the miraculous intervention of God in human
history for the purpose of judgment. Ht Old Testament prophets viewed the final day of the Lord of unparalleled judgment. The phrase is used 19 times in the Old Testament and 4 times in the New Testament. It runs from the Rapture to eternity.
2.The Dread Will come as a thief The Day spoken of will be unexpected and
without warning. Paul uses the comparison (I Thes. 5:2) The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.
B. Surely 10b, 12 will come…shall pass away…shall melt…shall burn up (v. 10)
shall be dissolved…shall melt…according to promise. You can count on it!!
Something New is coming!!
C. Spectacularly 10b, 12
The first heaven and the first earth is contaminated by sin (Rom. 8:22) Jesus Christ is
the agent that holds all things together (Col. 1:16, 17). He can certainly be their
instrument of destruction.
1.The Big Bang The heavens shall pass away with a great noise. Heavens is the
visible, physical interstellar and intergalactic space. Peter foresaw the disintegration of the entire universe!! With a great noise…a big BANG On that future day noise will be that of disintegrating atoms. BOOM!
2.The Big Bust (v. 7) is expanded. Elements will melt with fervent heat. Elements make up 110 building blocks of the universe. At one time this was a far fetched verse…elements do not melt. That was until atomic energy was discovered.
Melt the earth and its works will be burned up and the earthly material will be converted either into a vapor or pure energy. Verse 12 repeats the similar scene showing that something New is coming!
3.The Big Burn The works that are in it shall be burned up. God’s power will
consume everything in the material realm. Everything in it will be laid bare…exposed is another translation. It could be exposed for what it really is. “Only one life twill soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Say it would all go. What would you have left? That’s all we really have!
D. Specially 13
God is going to do something special.
1.The Promise According to His promise that promise is a New Heaven and a New Earth. The first is contaminated by sin. New is the Greek word is not neos…new in time, but kainos which is fresh, and unlike anything previously known.
2.The Purpose In which dwells righteousness…Dwells is to be at home…to take up
permanent residence. Another Fall will be impossible! In God’s new order, righteousness will enjoy a permanent, perfect existence (Rev. 21:1-4, 22-27). God once again exercises His mighty powers of creation.

II. HOW SHOULD WE LIVE? 3:11, 14-18
What we believe effects how we live. Show me how you live and I will tell you what you believe.
A. Be Blessed 11b
1. In all holy living refers to our external actions and behavior. Holy means set apart
to God and for God. It means to be separated from sin.
2. Godliness is an internal heart attitude and reverence. It means to bring God into everything.
It means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. It is the outworking of I am the vine and you are
the branches.
B. Be Boundless 14
Wherefore beloved (so then) In light of what is left Be diligent…make every effort
(1:10, 15) This is our responsibility.
1.In Peace Be found of Him in peace. Beloved already has peace with God. Here he
is speaking of the peace of God. It is the peace of mind that accompanies a confident faith and confidence in God (Phil 4:6, 7). Rest In Him no matter what!
2.In Purity Spotless this is what others perceive them to be…Christian character,
the kind of people believers really are without moral defects. Illus. of a spot on a white suit.
3.In Practice Blameless not sinless, but not having the world point its finger at
you because of a poor reputation. You really practice what you preach!
C. Be Biblical 15,16
1. In Salvation And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation…Patience is
designed for salvation. Peter wanted his readers to be eager for Christ’s return.
He did not want them to grow idle or detach themselves from society. Just as the
longsuffering of God is to motivate the lost to trust Christ(v. 9). It should move
the believer to proclaim the Good News to those who are lost.
2. In Stability 15b, 16 Peter referenced similar warnings that the apostle Paul had
given about false teaching.
*Paul wrote his writings were known by these readers. Peter gives a general endorsement for Paul’s inspired writings, demonstrating the divine origin of the revelation given to Paul. Paul was speaking in these letters of the same thing. *Some of what Paul had to say about the day of the Lord was difficult to interpret…the Rapture…the man of sin…the return of Christ to judge.
*Untaught and unstable would distort. Distort “wrenching someone’s body on a torture rack.”
*The rest of Scripture…By 64 a.d. Paul’s writings were considered Scripture. The Da Vinci Code said that the Canon of Scripture was decided in 325 a.d. at the Council of Nicene…Not So! (Heb. 2:3, 4) The writers of the New Testament was confirmed by signs, wonders and miracles. Acts is Acts of the Apostles…signs were to confirm and authenticate the writers.
*We have a light, map, and compass in the word of God…follow it!
D. Be Balanced 17,18
1. Grounded 17a You really know these things. Know is a word from which we
get prognosis. In the medical world a patient gets a prognosis. A patient is
better able to prepare himself for what is ahead or if possible to make some
corrections. There is not a quick or easy way to learn God’s word, but discipline,
time, effort and more time!
2. Guarded Be on guard…being led astray…fall from steadfastness
3. Grow 18a But grow (a continuous action verb) Continually grow in grace. Grace is
appropriating God’s adequacy for every inadequacy. Continually grow in knowledge
(gnosis) of our Lord and Savior It is a knowing that produces fruit. It is a knowing of so
many facets of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
4. Glory 18b Make sure all the glory goes to Him. It’s not about you. It’s all about Him!

This world and things are going to end...live like it!!!
Don’t grasp…Hold loosely…Stay in the Word and keep your eyes on the eternal!