Call to worship:
Psalm 66:8–12
Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. (ESV)
Gathering Video
Questions for reflection:
What insight does Peter give us on the Lord’s timeline?
How is God’s patience good news for us?
What does repentance look like for you this week?
How does the vision of the future impact living in the present
Corporate Prayer:
Our Father in Heaven,
We thank you for the story of salvation that centers on Your Son. We are amazed again at the endless grace of Jesus that grants forgiveness and freedom. May Your Spirit shape us to continually receive, share and show the love of God through everything we say and do.
In the name of Christ we pray, amen.
Notes//Quotes//Slides:
2 Peter 3:8-13 - Faith
2 Peter 3:8-13 - The Lord's Delay
Psalm 90:4
“God views the passing of time from a different perspective than we do. We are impatient, getting disturbed and upset by even a short delay; God is patient, willing to let centuries and even millennia go by as he works out his purposes. Peter is not telling his readers that they are wrong to believe that Christ’s return is “imminent.” What he is telling them is that they are wrong to be impatient when it does not come as quickly as they might like or hope.” - Doug Moo
“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends. I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it.” - Gandalf
“Lest anyone should think that sinners can therefore presume on God’s forbearance, taking advantage of the delay by not repenting, the author immediately stresses that God will not defer his judgment indefinitely. The day of judgment will come upon sinners with the unexpectedness of a burglar breaking in while the householder sleeps. The apocalyptic imagery which follows depicts not simply the dissolution of the cosmos but, more importantly, the eschatological coming of the divine Judge. When the wrathful voice of God thunders out of heaven and the fire of his judgment sets the sky ablaze, the firmament and the heavenly bodies will be destroyed, and the earth, the scene of human wickedness, will be exposed to his wrath. Then it will be impossible for the wicked to hide from God’s judicial scrutiny. They and their evil deeds will be discovered by him and condemned.” Richard Bauckham
“The mission of Jesus brought not a new teaching but a new event. It brought to people an actual foretaste of the eschatological salvation. Jesus did not promise the forgiveness of sins; he bestowed it. He did not simple assure people of the future fellowship of the Kingdom; he invited them into fellowship with himself as the bearer of the Kingdom. He did not merely promise them vindication in the day of judgment; he bestowed upon them the status of a present righteousness. He not only taught an eschatological deliverance from physical evil; he went about demonstrating the redeeming power of the Kingdom, delivering people from sickness and even death.” - George Eldon Ladd
Ps:90:12-17