The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise

2 Peter 3:1-18

Key Verse: 3:9

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

Introduction:

Aposle Peter fight the good fight against false teachers in regards to the second coming of Jesus Christ. False teachers pointed out that nothing is new under the sun. But the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise. The only reason why the day of judgment is seemingly delayed is God’s patience to see more people to be saved. May the Lord help each of us to stimulate wholesome thinking through this passage and grow as Bible teachers who can share sound doctrin.

1.     Read verses 1-2. What is Peter’s purpose of writing both of his letters? (1) What does the author want us to recall? (2)

1-1) Read verses 1-2. 

     Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

1-2)  What is Peter’s purpose of writing both of his letters? (1) 

   i) I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 

   Apostle Peter reminds them of wholesome thinking (“healthy and sound” thinking)

  because false teaching about Jesus that denies His deity and power resulting in false

 thinking

      

 ii) It reminds us of 2 Peter 1:12-15, 

   

    “So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.”

The author, Peter, clarified the purpose of his writing in chapters 1 and 3)  

 Apostle Peter made every effort to see that, after his death, they would always be able to remember the words of truth and they might not be misled about Jesus’ second coming. 

1-3) What does the author want us to recall? (2)

   “The words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord

    and Savior through your apostles.”

    a)  the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets- the old testaments

   

    b) the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.-the new testaments

    

    

2.     Read verses 3-7. What kind of people will come in these last days and what will they be following? (3) What will they say about Jesus’ 2nd coming and what is their rational? (4) What do they deliberately forget about God’s word? (5, 6) By the same word what are the present heavens and earth reserved for? (7)

2-1)  Read verses 3-7. 

3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

2-2) What kind of people will come in these last days and what will they be following? (3) 

a)  Scoffers will come

b) Following their own evil desires. 

2-3)  What will they say about Jesus’ 2nd coming and what is their rational? (4) 

 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

2-4)  What do they deliberately forget about God’s word? (5, 6) 

 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 

2-5)  By the same word what are the present heavens and earth reserved for? (7)

     By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day

    of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

3. Read verses 8-10. What is the one thing Peter wanted his friends not to forget? (8) Why is God so patient with us? (9) How will the day of the Lord come and what will happen? (10)

3-1)  Read verses 8-10. 

     8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

3-2) What is the one thing Peter wanted his friends not to forget? (8) 

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: 

With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 

3-3)  Why is God so patient with us? (9) 

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. 

Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 

3-4)   How will the day of the Lord come and what will happen? (10)

a) The day of the Lord will come like a thief. 

b) The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, 

      and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

4.    Read verses 11-14. What kind of people ought we to be and what do we look forward to? (11b, 12a) What will the day of God bring? (12b) In keeping with his promise what are we looking forward to? (13) What should we make every effort to be? (14)

 4-1) Read verses 11-14. 

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+3&version=NIV#fen-NIV-30535b"b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

4-2) What kind of people ought we to be and what do we look forward to? (11b, 12a) 

a) You ought to live holy and godly lives 

b) The day of God speeds its coming. 

4-3) What will the day of God bring? (12b) 

That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

4-4) In keeping with his promise what are we looking forward to? (13) 

 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

4-5)  What should we make every effort to be? (14)

  14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

5.   Read verses 15-18. What does our Lord’s patience mean? (15a) What did Paul write to us with?(15b) What do ignorant and unstable people do to Paul’s letters and other Scriptures and what do their actions lead to? (16) What are the two things Peter tells us to do? (17,18) 

5-1) Read verses 15-18. 

15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawlessand fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

5-2) What does our Lord’s patience mean? (15a) 

15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation

5-3) What did Paul write to us with?(15b) 

With wisom that God gave him.

5-4) What do ignorant and unstable people do to Paul’s letters and other Scriptures and what do their actions lead to? (16) 

“Just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

5-5) What are the two things Peter tells us to do? (17,18) 

a) Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 

b) Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

In conclusion)

The Lord is not slow in in keeping his promises. We, the people of God, ought to live in holiness and godliness not just to avoid the punishment but to devote ourselves to things that will last beyond the judgment. Interestingly, Peter said, “as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” Can we hasten the coming of the day of the Lord? Yes, Christians can actually affect  the time of Jesus’ second coming. How? We can speed Jesus’ coming by living holy and godly lives and by preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth.