Well let’s get started! My name is Michael. I am one of the pastors. So good to be here this morning! This morning we are going to launch into a 3-week series on “MONEY” and we are talking about the subject of money because money is important of life.
Money is one of those areas of life that is very subjective. For example, you always feel like other people have more money. In this room there is someone who has the most money but there is someone in Austin who has more money, someone in Texas, someone in the United States…It’s never ending!
In addition, money is an easy area of life where it’s easy to judge other people. It’s easy to look at someone else and think, “You spent that much money on that car, that house, those clothes, that meal, that vacation…” and we conveniently overlook the areas where we spend money. Have you noticed?
And, we live in a unique time in history, because most of humanity a person needed shelter, food, some clothes and if you had those three areas in life you were winning. Right? That was most of history!
But in the last 200 years we have seen economic growth off the charts, so that the majority of people today in developed countries expect to get more than shelter, food, and clothes. Right?
In our day, we expect different types of food, different types of clothes, bigger houses and we don’t just chase after economic growth but we expect economic growth. Right?
This morning we’re not going to really talk about money but instead talk about a passage that frames the whole conversation of money. Let’s look at 2 Peter 3:1-4:
2 Peter 3:1-4, “1 Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of a reminder, 2 to remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. 3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.”
2 Peter is written by the Apostle Peter. 2 Peter is written after 1 Peter. 1 Peter is addressed to the followers of Jesus who have been scattered through the persecution of their day. 2 Peter is written to encourage those who have been scattered, and the primary encouragement is that that one-day Jesus is going to return.
You might say, “I thought we were talking about money?” We are. We are talking about our ultimate hope as a follower of Jesus, which shapes how we spend money. Does that make sense?
Look at that phrase “last days” in verse 3. The phrase “last days” is a description of when Jesus will return. Jesus is eternal God, Jesus steps out of the heavens, lives a perfect life, dies on the cross for our sin, resurrects from the dead and promises, “I am leaving but I will return” so that from that moment no we are in the “last days.” You with me?
We don’t know when Jesus is going to return. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians said Jesus’ return will take place in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, but God’s Word is clear, one day Jesus is going to return in all His glory.
Isn’t that what we studied in 1 Corinthians? One day Jesus is going to make all things new. One day Jesus is going to restore all of creation. One day Jesus is going to judge all the offenses of humanity. This is our ultimate hope as a follower of Jesus.
Now, it’s possible that you are skeptical of Jesus’ return, it’s possible you have some doubts, it’s possible you have heard people make so many claims have some doubts. Do you know people like to make predictions about the future?
- March 21, 1843: William Miller predicted the end of the world and had 100,000 people preparing for that day.
- April 9, 1910: Halle’s comet passes by earth every 76 years but the nearness in 1910 made people assume the world would be destroyed.
- March 25, 1988: One man proclaimed God would appear on a television to announce the end of the world.
- March 26, 1997: A religious group called Heaven’s Gate all took their own lives in preparation assuming the world was going to end.
- December 12, 2012: Anyone remember that date? 12.12. Very mysterious! This date refers to the Mayan Calendar, which didn’t go beyond that date so people concluded this was the end of the world.
- December 31, 2023: What about this year? December 31, 2023 is 123123. What are we getting ready for?
Illustration: Nike had a commercial about Y2K between two men who hit their alarms, got out of bed, put on their running gear to go for a run. As they run along the streets of New York City we see the streets are littered with neglect, empty, despair and then these two men see each other and say, “Hey Joe, Hey Mark.” It’s as though as long as you are wearing Nike, just keep running.
2 Peter 3:1-4, “1 Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of a reminder, 2 to remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. 3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.”
This is why the Apostle Peter uses the phrase “stirring up” in verse 1. The phrase “stirring up” means to “wake up” a people who have been lulled to sleep and how does the Apostle Peter stir their interests? Look at verse 2.
He points them to the Old Testament. Do you see that in verse 2? We don’t have time this morning but you could go to Isaiah 13, Jeremiah 46, Amos 5, over and over to see promises of Jesus’ return.
In addition, the Apostle Peter points them to Jesus Himself who spoke of His return over and over, “I go to prepare a place for you, and I am coming again” (John 14:3.). Wake up!
You might be thinking, “I thought we were talking about money?” We are. Can you think of any more important truth to shape how we spend, view money, save money, give away money than the reminder that Jesus is going to return to make all things new, therefore, when we find ourselves getting lulled to indifference and doubt of Jesus’ return, look to God’s Word?
God’s Word is so good to us because God’s Word not only tells us Jesus is going to return, God’s Word tells there are going to be people who mock Jesus’ return. Do you see that in verse 3?
Mockers are people who doubt God’s Word, make light of God’s Word, ignore God’s Word. That’s what I used to do before I became a follower of Jesus. I had a friend in high school that would always talk to me about Jesus. His name is Lenny and I still talk to him till this day. Lenny and I would hang out, having fun and then Lenny would say something like, “You know Jesus is coming back, right?”
I was like, “What?” First, is Jesus even a real person and second, if Jesus is a real person Jesus is dead, and third, if you believe Jesus is coming back, “You’re crazy!” How convenient is that? Where is He? Well…I would laugh at him over and over. You know who’s laughing now? Lenny! Lenny laughs at me a lot!
Illustration: I hope we have some stories of pointing people to the hope we have in Jesus and them laughing at us. As students, I hope you know some people like me in your schools, and you talk to them about the glory of God made known in Jesus.
Mockers are going to come and go. It’s easy to mock. It’s easy to sit on the sidelines of life and just mock people for believing God’s Word, mock people for believing Jesus is God in the flesh, it’s easy. As a fellow mocker, it’s easy to mock but the power God’s Word breaks into darkened souls and changed my life. Look at verses 5-9:
2 Peter 3:5-9, “5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.”
The Apostles Peter responds to those mockers with two points of evidence. First, we see God’s Word pointing us to creation. All creation was formed out of water, Genesis 1:2, the earth was formless and void as the spirit of God hovered over the surface of the waters and said, “Let there be light; and there was light.”
I know our public schools teach evolution. I know our children are taught that humanity evolved over millions and millions and millions of years through a microbe. After all, what couldn’t happen over millions and millions and millions of years? I am sure if I put a microbe in a glass of water over millions and millions and millions of years it would become a complex organism. That makes so much sense!
Therefore, the Apostle Peter writes, “You can mock God but look at creation.” What have you created o’ man? Were you there when the Lord marked out the horizon? Were you there when the Lord said to the waves, “This far and no further?” Or did that escape your notice.
Second, we see God’s Word pointing us to the flood in Genesis 6. In Genesis 6 Noah builds an ark in preparation for the flood. Can you imagine the mockers in the days of Noah? Noah is building a giant boat in the middle of a desert land.
Can you imagine the people heckling Noah? Can you imagine the people being baffled at the idea of a flood? Therefore, the Apostle Peter writes, “Were you there when Noah pleaded with the people? Were you there when the rain started to fall?”
In verse 7 the Apostle Peter connects the dots so as to say, “Just as people doubted the work of His hand, just as judgment came in the days of Noah, judgment is going to come again.” Do you see that in verse 7?
I say this in the most loving way. All of humanity has sinned against the righteousness of God. All of humanity has done what is right in our own eyes, and God, in His grace, has come to take the judgment we deserve upon ourselves at the cross. His name is Jesus!
Please don’t think lightly of God’s Word. As a church family in Austin, please, don’t ignore God’s Word. Please look at the evidence of His hand at work in creation, look at the judgment that came in the days of Noah, these two events are like mile markers of what is to come, because one day Jesus will return, not as a baby in a manger but as a judge. Look at verses 8-9:
2 Peter 3:8-9, “8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” It’s possible we see the warning of judgment but there is a part of us that says to ourselves, “I don’t see any consequences.”
We see humanity hurting one another, we see people mocking God’s glory, we see offenses taking place over and over and over, so that we think to ourselves, “Does it really matter?”
Therefore, the Apostle Peter writes, “The Lord isn’t slow about His promise, as some count slowness.” Do you see that in verse 9? One day is like a thousand years to the Lord. He’s not being slow. He’s being patient. Do you see that in verse 9?
All of humanity has sinned against the righteousness of God, so that the God of Scripture would have been just to bring His judgment the moment Adam and Eve sin against God (Genesis 3) but He’s being patient. The Lord sees our offenses. The Lord sees our bigotry, arrogance, mocking, immorality, pride, so that He’s not limited, He’s not indifferent. He’s being patient.
This word “patience” in the original language is the word “macro-thymei.” Macro meaning big or great and thymei meaning anger, which literally the Lord is being patient so as to store up an account of our offenses.
It’s like a cosmic trash back of our lying, pride, arrogance, hate, murder, rape, I mean just consider the mocking of God’s glory alone. Can you imagine the glory of the Lord is on display at the work of His hands in creation, and humanities response is, “I bet this all just happened by accident?” I bet there was an explosion and out of that explosion came complex beings.
It is a cosmic offense against His cosmic glory and the Apostle Peter writes, “He is macro-thymei.” He is patient, so that as many as possible, do you see it, might turn in repentance.
Do you know this word repentance? The word repentance means to turn. It is to turn from our sin, turn from our darkened thoughts, turn from our mockery and seek His forgiveness. This is the gospel!
Jesus, God in the flesh, comes to absorb the stored-up wrath of our sin upon Himself at the cross. Jesus doesn’t just say we are forgiven. Jesus pays the price. Jesus stands in our place. Jesus conquers death so that through faith in Him we might be clothed in His righteousness.
Listen to me, if you have yet to believe in Jesus, do so today. Trust in Jesus today. Believe in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection of Jesus today. Even right now, the Lord is inviting men and women in this room to believe in Him, trust in Him and He is being patient, not wishing any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Look at verse 10:
2 Peter 3:10, “10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered.”
Right now, our culture is very interested in social justice, which is great. God’s Word is for people, God’s Word is for His creation. But the social justice that is pursued today is limited at best. Women can rule the world but the world will still see layers of injustice. People of color can rule the world and the world will still see injustice.
Poor people can be made rich and we will still see injustice in the world, so that yes, we want to be a blessing to all people but the ultimate hope for humanity is Jesus return. Because one day Jesus will return and, on that day, there will be no more sexual violence, no more racism, no more abuse, no more pollution, no more tears, no more hunger, no more pain, so that all of creation will be glorious. Can you imagine with me? Dream with me.
All of creation made perfect. The most beautiful part of creation right now is still layered in sin, groaning for redemption, so as a bible teaching church in Austin, can you imagine those mountains, beaches, sunsets all dipped in glory?
As a non-denominational church in Austin, can you imagine our emotions made perfect? How much of our capacity is filled up with anxiety and fear and shame and guilt but on that day our emotions will be made glorious. Our minds will be made perfect. One day, but you must believe in Jesus. Hold fast to that day. Look at verses 11-14:
2 Peter 3:11-14, “11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace.”
How does this passage connect to the subject of money? Look at verse 11, “What sort of people ought you to be?” In light of Jesus’ return, how then shall we live? Will we can wallow in skepticism?
Or will we believe God’s Word and pursue Godly lives, which isn’t just limited to Sunday morning but how we spend our time, build relationships, serve our city, and how we view money and spend money. We will get into what it looks like practically over the next two weeks but this morning I want to invite us to respond to God’s Word.
Ask the worship team to come forward. Ask us to lower the lights. And invite us to respond to God’s Word this morning. Jesus is going to return. As a church in Austin, do you believe this? Jesus invaded humanity through His birth, Jesus is going to invade humanity in glory, therefore, we want to ask Jesus to invade every part of our being right now.
Maybe some of us need to turn to Jesus for the first time? Maybe some of us need to come back to Jesus? But we all need to turn to Jesus this morning! We need to repent. We need to lament. We need to align our hearts and minds with Him, so that we can walk up to the mockers of our day with confidence, “Jesus is coming back!”