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🎵Hallelujah Choir🎵 🎵In

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perfect harmony, oh🎵 Return

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to 2 Peter chapter 3 for our last

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study in this epistle.

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2 Peter chapter 3.

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I think we'll begin with verse 3 tonight.

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2 Peter 3, verse 3, Knowing this first,

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that there shall come in the last days

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scoffers walking after their own lusts, and saying,

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Where is the promise of his coming?

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For since the fathers fell asleep, all things

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continue as they were from the beginning of

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the creation.

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For this they willingly are ignorant of, that

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by the word of God the heavens were

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of old, and the earth standing out of

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the water and in the water, whereby the

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world that then was being overflowed with water

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perished.

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But the heavens and the earth which are

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now by the same word are kept in

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store, reserved unto fire against the day of

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judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

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But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one

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thing, that one day is with the Lord

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as a thousand years, and a thousand years

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as one day.

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The Lord is not slack concerning his promise,

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as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering

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to us.

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We are not willing that any should perish,

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but that all should come to repentance.

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But the day of the Lord will come

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as a thief in the night, in the

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which the heavens shall pass away with a

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great noise, and the elements shall melt with

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fervent heat.

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The earth also and the works that are

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therein shall be burned up.

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Seeing then that all these things shall be

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dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to

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be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking

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for and hasting unto the coming of the

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day of God, wherein the heavens being on

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fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall

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melt with fervent heat?

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Nevertheless, we according to his promise look for

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new heavens, and a new earth wherein dwelleth

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righteousness.

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Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such

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things, be diligent that ye may be found

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of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

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And account that the longsuffering of our Lord

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is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul

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also, according to the wisdom given unto him,

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hath written unto you, as also in all

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his epistles, speaking in them of these things,

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in which are some things hard to be

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understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable

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wretch, as they do also the other scriptures,

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unto their own destruction.

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Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things

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before, beware lest ye also, being led away

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with the error of the wicked, fall from

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your own steadfastness, but grow in grace, and

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in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior

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Jesus Christ.

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To him be glory both now and forever.

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Amen.

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As we've noticed in our outline, this epistle

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has to do with false teachers, and in

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the third chapter we find this special aspect

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of these false teachers, that they're scoffers.

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They're scoffers.

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They arise in the last day, and they

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scoff at the whole idea of the coming

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of the Lord.

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They say, we can live it fast and

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loose, we can play both ends against the

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middle, there's nothing to worry about.

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And they base their loose living and their

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scoffing on what we called last night the

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doctrine of uniformitarianism.

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That is the same.

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There have been no changes, everything works according

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to natural law, and the world is just

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going to go on at

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that whole idea.

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And we noticed last night that this doctrine,

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this basic doctrine of his

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faith, works this way, and

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there have not been any great catastrophes or

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cataclysms in the history of the world.

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And that brings us to verse 5.

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Verse 5 says, For this they willingly are

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ignorant of, willingly are ignorant of, but that

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by the word of God the heavens were

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of old, and the earth standing out of

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the water and in the water, were by

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the world that then was, being overflowed with

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water, perished.

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Peter refutes their doctrine by saying, look here,

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God did intervene, there was a great cataclysm

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that took place, and that destroyed the theory

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of evolution.

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Now notice what it says.

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It says that the world was stored with

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the seeds of its own destruction.

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There was water above, you know, the clouds

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in a sense, or

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some other power, we literally would,

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springs with water.

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And this tremendous flood took place, and was

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one of the greatest, if not the greatest,

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cataclysms that the world has ever known.

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Now it's an interesting thing to me that

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in our day, and in evangelical circles, a

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new theory has been propounded, and that was

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that it was just a local flood.

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And it's interesting how all of the things

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we've been studying in 2 Peter are the

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very things that are being brought in.

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And so you're really not in the theological

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swift.

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But I want to tell you, if that

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flood was local, you'd have to picture a

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gigantic flood in a little place.

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And yet this is what men are saying

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today.

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They have to attack the universality of the

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flood in order to get on with their

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man-made theory.

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Now what Peter is arguing is this.

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You say all things continue the same since

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the Father slept, but now he said God

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is going to do it again.

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He did it once, he can do it

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again.

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And he's going to do it again, only

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this time.

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And so he says in verse 7, but

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the heavens and the earth, which are now,

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by the same word, are kept in store,

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reserved unto fire against the day of judgment

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and perdition of ungodly men.

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Now he said in the verses above that

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in the days before the flood, this was

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filled with the seeds of its own destruction,

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the water.

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Well now it's an interesting thing that in

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this atomic age, man has come to realize

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that the world is also filled with the

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seeds of its own destruction, namely atomic energy.

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And they've been able to take and split

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the atom.

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And man has been able to take and

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cause explosions.

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And man is invading this whole area of

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matter.

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And well, it's kind of amazing.

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They know that when they can break that,

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there's a tremendous explosion.

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And for the want of a better name,

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they say that matter is held together by

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cosmic glue.

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Well, that's one word for it.

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Another word for it is, and what this

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passage of scripture is saying is that someday

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God is going to release the restraint that's

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holding things together.

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It'll make an atomic explosion.

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And that's exactly what it's, by the same

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word, have, this is the Isn't that interesting?

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Stored up for fire.

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If you told that to an atomic scientist

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twenty years ago, he might have been, but

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not today, or at least thirty or forty

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years ago.

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By the same word, are stored up for

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fire, being reserved against the day of judgment

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and perdition of ungodly men.

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And so Peter teaches us here, I think

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I explained, all

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right, then in verses eight and nine, Peter

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gives the reason for God's delay.

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Everything's gone along and evolution will continue to

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take its course.

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And so Peter, be

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not ignorant of this one thing, that one

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day is with the Lord as a thousand

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years, and a thousand years as one day.

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The Lord is not slack concerning his promises,

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not willing that any should perish, but that

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all should come to repentance.

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Now this is interesting.

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Peter tells us in the eighth verse that

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God doesn't live in a sphere of time.

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We think in terms of time, four years,

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year of our Lord, but that's only because

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we live on this earth.

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And time is made because of our relationship

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to the Creator.

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It's the relationship of the earth to the

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sun that makes us think in terms of

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days and months and years and millennia.

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But God doesn't live on either the earth

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or the sun.

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He's above the reach of all that, and

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there is no time with God.

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And so it says here, a thousand years,

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beginning of creation, up to the present.

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A long time, but it's not a long

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time with God.

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God can crowd into a day with ordinarily

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you'd think it would take a thousand years

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to do, and he can stretch out in

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a thousand years long-suffering mercy that might

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last a single day.

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Isn't this a wonderful picture of God?

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God lingering in loving kindness over this earth,

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not willing that any should perish, but that

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all should come to repentance.

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And I can't help wondering as we come

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to verse nine of this chapter, and God

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has spared you.

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God's wrath has been withheld, and time and

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again he's spoken to you to come to

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his son's savior.

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I wonder what it's going to take.

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Before your stubborn will will be broken, and

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you'll bow in confession at the pierced feet

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of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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What a picture of God bending over this

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scene tonight, souls in the balance, God's mercy

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and long-suffering being extended so that you

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might be saved.

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It reminds me of the Lord Jesus when

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he was up there on the top of

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the Mount of Olives, looking down over the

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city of Jerusalem and weeping over it.

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I wonder if he's weeping over some...

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The poet said he wept alone, and men

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passed by the men whose sins he bore.

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They saw the man of sorrows weep, they'd

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seen him weep before.

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They asked not who those tears were for,

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they asked not whence they flowed.

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Those tears were for rebellious men, their source.

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The eye of God is downward bent, still

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ranging to and fro, where'er in this

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wide wilderness.

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And if the rebel should come, God mourns

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his death.

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Deep breathing from the heart of God, but

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he would not.

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What a tremendously solemn thing.

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What a picture.

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Long-suffering.

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He's not slack concerning his promise.

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He hasn't forgotten the promise that he's going

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to step in and bring sin to a

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climax.

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He hasn't forgotten that.

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But in the meantime, he's lingering with long

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-suffering and love and grace, not willing that

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any should perish.

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Then it says in verse ten, But the

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day of the Lord will come as a

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thief in the night, the which the heavens

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shall pass away with a great fire, shall

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be dissolved with fervent heat.

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00:27:07,940 --> 00:27:09,760
The earth also, with the works that are

273
00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:12,060
therein, shall be burned up.

274
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Now here we're introduced to an expression, the

275
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day of the Lord, and I'd just like

276
00:27:17,180 --> 00:27:19,720
to say a word about that tonight.

277
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The day of

278
00:27:42,540 --> 00:27:44,760
the Lord is not a single day of

279
00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:50,830
twenty-four hours, but the day of the

280
00:27:50,830 --> 00:27:54,010
Lord is an expression used in the Bible

281
00:27:54,010 --> 00:27:58,430
to speak, to describe any period of time

282
00:27:58,430 --> 00:28:03,910
in which God punishes his enemies and marches

283
00:28:03,910 --> 00:28:06,690
forth to victory with his people.

284
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Let me say that again.

285
00:28:09,090 --> 00:28:11,890
The day of the Lord is any period

286
00:28:11,890 --> 00:28:15,010
of time in the history of the world

287
00:28:15,010 --> 00:28:20,840
in which God punishes his enemies and in

288
00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:22,520
victory for his people.

289
00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,160
For instance, in the Old Testament, when the

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00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:27,680
armies of Israel would march forth to battle,

291
00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:30,480
the people would say, the day of the

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00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:30,840
Lord.

293
00:28:31,860 --> 00:28:33,680
In fact, that's what the writer of the

294
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:35,500
hymn, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, had

295
00:28:35,500 --> 00:28:35,840
in mind.

296
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He is transfixed on the idea of the

297
00:28:50,870 --> 00:28:53,110
day of the Lord, the day, any day,

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00:28:53,230 --> 00:28:58,430
any battle when God is enemy.

299
00:28:58,910 --> 00:29:00,830
So in the Old Testament, for instance, in

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Joel 1.15, and in Ezekiel 13.5,

301
00:29:05,130 --> 00:29:07,690
which we're not going to turn to, Joel

302
00:29:07,690 --> 00:29:15,260
1.15, Ezekiel 13.5, the day of

303
00:29:15,260 --> 00:29:15,720
the Lord.

304
00:29:16,460 --> 00:29:18,560
But this expression, the day of the Lord,

305
00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,740
will always be used.

306
00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,220
After the church is taken out of this

307
00:29:24,220 --> 00:29:29,330
scene, there will follow a tribulation, and this

308
00:29:29,330 --> 00:29:31,070
is the day of the Lord.

309
00:29:31,470 --> 00:29:33,730
First Thessalonians, chapter 5.

310
00:29:35,380 --> 00:29:39,280
First Thessalonians, chapter 5, and verse 2.

311
00:29:40,140 --> 00:29:44,860
It says, For yourselves know perfectly that the

312
00:29:44,860 --> 00:29:47,620
day of the Lord so cometh as a

313
00:29:47,620 --> 00:29:49,560
thief in the night.

314
00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,320
And it goes on to describe this terrible

315
00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:55,300
period, when God is going to pour out

316
00:29:59,230 --> 00:30:00,490
the day of the Lord.

317
00:30:01,230 --> 00:30:04,150
Then thirdly, the day of the Lord, the

318
00:30:06,620 --> 00:30:09,800
day of the Lord's victory, the day when

319
00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:17,210
he will have been sitting on the throne

320
00:30:17,210 --> 00:30:17,770
of David.

321
00:30:18,190 --> 00:30:20,370
That's going to be the day of the

322
00:30:20,370 --> 00:30:20,650
Lord.

323
00:30:20,830 --> 00:30:22,190
If you'd like to see that, you might

324
00:30:22,190 --> 00:30:25,030
turn to Isaiah chapter 11.

325
00:30:25,790 --> 00:30:30,610
Isaiah chapter 11, and we'll just read a

326
00:30:30,610 --> 00:30:32,470
few verses there to give you the picture.

327
00:30:33,070 --> 00:30:35,490
It's a picture of the millennial reign of

328
00:30:35,490 --> 00:30:38,890
Christ, and it uses that expression, the day

329
00:30:38,890 --> 00:30:39,930
of the Lord.

330
00:30:40,030 --> 00:30:44,530
Isaiah 11, verse 10, first of all, says,

331
00:30:44,690 --> 00:30:46,810
And in that day, and if you go

332
00:30:46,810 --> 00:30:48,490
back in the chapter, you'll find it's the

333
00:30:48,490 --> 00:30:49,950
day of the Lord he's talking about.

334
00:30:50,250 --> 00:30:52,850
In that day there shall be a root

335
00:30:52,850 --> 00:30:55,610
of Jesse, which shall stand for an instant

336
00:30:55,610 --> 00:30:56,470
of the people.

337
00:30:57,130 --> 00:31:00,630
To him shall the Gentiles seek, and his

338
00:31:00,630 --> 00:31:02,630
resting place shall be glorious.

339
00:31:02,810 --> 00:31:04,510
It shall come to pass in that day,

340
00:31:04,770 --> 00:31:07,430
says the Lord, that the Lord shall set

341
00:31:07,430 --> 00:31:09,990
his hand again the second time to recover

342
00:31:09,990 --> 00:31:11,210
the remnant of his people.

343
00:31:11,210 --> 00:31:13,290
This is the regathering of the remnant of

344
00:31:13,290 --> 00:31:16,310
Israel, which shall be left from Assyria, and

345
00:31:16,310 --> 00:31:19,610
Egypt, and Patras, and Cush, and Elam, and

346
00:31:19,610 --> 00:31:21,890
Shinar, and Amath, and from the islands of

347
00:31:21,890 --> 00:31:22,350
the sea.

348
00:31:23,010 --> 00:31:26,350
And then verse 16, And there shall be

349
00:31:26,350 --> 00:31:28,590
a highway for the remnant of his people,

350
00:31:28,690 --> 00:31:31,250
which shall be left from Assyria, like as

351
00:31:31,250 --> 00:31:33,010
it was in Israel in the day that

352
00:31:33,010 --> 00:31:34,990
he came up out of the land of

353
00:31:34,990 --> 00:31:35,270
Egypt.

354
00:31:35,730 --> 00:31:38,770
Now this is a picture of millennial conditions,

355
00:31:38,970 --> 00:31:41,150
and God gathers his people from all over

356
00:31:41,150 --> 00:31:43,630
the world, the Jewish people, back to the

357
00:31:43,630 --> 00:31:44,570
land again.

358
00:31:45,070 --> 00:31:48,590
And verse 12 gives you further millennial scenes.

359
00:31:48,770 --> 00:31:50,750
It says, And in that day, and it

360
00:31:50,750 --> 00:31:52,570
goes on to describe what it's going to

361
00:31:52,570 --> 00:31:54,290
be like in the millennium.

362
00:31:54,650 --> 00:31:56,350
And so the day of the Lord is,

363
00:31:56,550 --> 00:31:58,210
first of all, in the Old Testament, any

364
00:31:58,210 --> 00:32:00,790
time when the armies of Israel went forth

365
00:32:00,790 --> 00:32:03,670
to battle, and the Lord defeated his foes,

366
00:32:03,810 --> 00:32:05,590
and brought victory to his people, the day

367
00:32:05,590 --> 00:32:06,070
of the Lord.

368
00:32:06,230 --> 00:32:19,180
The day of the Lord, this is

369
00:32:19,180 --> 00:32:22,760
the destruction of the heavens and the earth

370
00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:27,040
at the end of Christ's thousand-year reign.

371
00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,990
And the idea of a thief in the

372
00:32:30,990 --> 00:32:33,250
night, that idea of a thief in the

373
00:32:33,250 --> 00:32:35,430
night has two thoughts connected with it.

374
00:32:35,750 --> 00:32:40,570
A thief comes to steal, to take, to

375
00:32:40,570 --> 00:32:44,370
rob, and a thief comes unexpectedly.

376
00:32:44,530 --> 00:32:46,110
If you knew the thief was coming, you

377
00:32:46,110 --> 00:32:48,830
wouldn't like the house to be broken into.

378
00:32:49,230 --> 00:32:51,510
And this speaks of the terrible loss that

379
00:32:51,510 --> 00:32:55,190
will take place, and the unexpected character of

380
00:32:55,190 --> 00:32:57,070
this day of the Lord.

381
00:32:57,130 --> 00:32:58,350
Notice what's going to happen.

382
00:32:58,470 --> 00:33:01,690
The heavens shall pass away with a tremendous

383
00:33:01,690 --> 00:33:06,350
explosion, and the elements shall be dissolved with

384
00:33:06,350 --> 00:33:07,150
fervent heat.

385
00:33:07,970 --> 00:33:09,930
Once again, I say, God doesn't have to

386
00:33:09,930 --> 00:33:12,750
use atomic energy to do this, but all

387
00:33:12,750 --> 00:33:16,030
he has to do is release the restraint

388
00:33:16,030 --> 00:33:17,510
that he is now holding.

389
00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:26,790
And every great explosion, and with a tremendous

390
00:33:26,790 --> 00:33:29,020
burst of energy.

391
00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:33,080
Now, notice what Peter, the exhortation he bases

392
00:33:33,580 --> 00:33:34,900
as a result of that.

393
00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:38,940
The believer's conduct and attitude in view of

394
00:33:38,940 --> 00:33:39,960
the day of the Lord.

395
00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:43,440
He says, verse 11, seeing then that all

396
00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:47,080
these things shall be dissolved, what manner of

397
00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:50,220
persons ought ye to be in all holy

398
00:33:50,220 --> 00:33:52,220
conversation and godliness?

399
00:33:52,580 --> 00:33:55,700
I'd like to just take those words, all

400
00:33:55,700 --> 00:33:58,140
these things shall be dissolved.

401
00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:00,260
All these things shall be dissolved.

402
00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:02,260
Look about you in the world today.

403
00:34:03,060 --> 00:34:04,860
Look at every created thing.

404
00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,480
Think of this country of ours, of the

405
00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:12,520
world of ours, in Chicago.

406
00:34:21,909 --> 00:34:25,949
The man who lives for material things is

407
00:34:25,949 --> 00:34:27,389
living for past.

408
00:34:30,449 --> 00:34:33,929
Somebody has said, a fool is a man

409
00:34:33,929 --> 00:34:37,469
all of whose plans end at the grave.

410
00:34:37,850 --> 00:34:39,710
A man who's lived for what he can

411
00:34:39,710 --> 00:34:42,510
touch and handle and taste and feel.

412
00:34:43,030 --> 00:34:45,250
The word of God is ever trying to

413
00:34:45,250 --> 00:34:49,050
draw us from material things to that which

414
00:34:49,050 --> 00:34:52,590
is eternal, to spiritual reality.

415
00:34:53,110 --> 00:34:55,110
May the Lord speak to hearts tonight through

416
00:34:55,110 --> 00:34:56,090
this verse of scripture.

417
00:34:56,570 --> 00:35:00,670
All these things shall be destroyed.

418
00:35:01,170 --> 00:35:03,390
Should speak first of all to those of

419
00:35:03,390 --> 00:35:05,910
us who are Christians, that we won't go

420
00:35:05,910 --> 00:35:09,970
through life hugging material things, but that we'll

421
00:35:09,970 --> 00:35:12,470
go through life with a vision of that

422
00:35:12,470 --> 00:35:13,930
which lies beyond.

423
00:35:14,270 --> 00:35:16,650
It should speak to those who are making

424
00:35:16,650 --> 00:35:19,510
their nest in this world, unsaved people who

425
00:35:19,510 --> 00:35:21,090
are making their nest in this world.

426
00:35:21,490 --> 00:35:22,930
It's all going to be destroyed.

427
00:35:23,410 --> 00:35:25,990
One day Spurgeon was walking down in a

428
00:35:25,990 --> 00:35:28,690
park in London, and he saw a bird

429
00:35:28,690 --> 00:35:44,960
building, and the axmen, people

430
00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,420
who are living for this world, who don't

431
00:35:47,420 --> 00:35:54,300
trust Christ, who don't live for eternity, that

432
00:35:54,300 --> 00:36:01,320
soon pass away.

433
00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:04,220
What manner of persons ought ye to be

434
00:36:04,220 --> 00:36:06,040
in all holy conduct?

435
00:36:09,580 --> 00:36:10,500
Just think of it.

436
00:36:11,140 --> 00:36:11,700
Just think of it.

437
00:36:11,740 --> 00:36:14,340
Every person in the room tonight is going

438
00:36:14,340 --> 00:36:15,860
to stand before God.

439
00:36:18,620 --> 00:36:21,340
It makes some of the things we're living

440
00:36:21,340 --> 00:36:23,160
for today look pretty sick, doesn't it?

441
00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:26,800
Pretty worthless.

442
00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:28,760
Every one of us is going to stand

443
00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:29,340
before God.

444
00:36:29,780 --> 00:36:31,540
Reach down and feel your knee.

445
00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:35,640
That knee is going to bow to the

446
00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:35,800
Lord.

447
00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:39,280
Feel your tongue in your mouth.

448
00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:49,400
That mouth of yours, that tongue, the Bible

449
00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,140
tells us if we don't do it willingly

450
00:36:51,140 --> 00:37:10,780
down here, the

451
00:37:10,780 --> 00:37:11,320
glory.

452
00:37:13,530 --> 00:37:16,390
Then it says in verse 12, looking for

453
00:37:16,390 --> 00:37:21,250
eager expectation, looking for and hasting unto the

454
00:37:21,250 --> 00:37:23,890
coming of the day of God, wherein the

455
00:37:23,890 --> 00:37:26,890
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and

456
00:37:26,890 --> 00:37:29,710
the elements shall melt with fervent heat.

457
00:37:31,750 --> 00:37:33,390
Now you say, why should a believer be

458
00:37:33,390 --> 00:37:36,170
looking for and earnestly desiring the day of

459
00:37:36,170 --> 00:37:36,550
God?

460
00:37:36,610 --> 00:37:39,970
Here's a day when this universe, the way

461
00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:44,420
of smoke, and the Bible says we ought

462
00:37:44,420 --> 00:37:45,380
to be looking for.

463
00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:49,860
When all the wicked will be destroyed and

464
00:37:49,860 --> 00:37:53,700
cast into everlasting perdition, the Bible says we

465
00:37:55,850 --> 00:37:56,330
are one.

466
00:37:56,990 --> 00:37:58,450
Well, we ought to look at things for

467
00:37:58,450 --> 00:38:00,350
a while from God's standpoint.

468
00:38:02,250 --> 00:38:04,090
Sin and immorality.

469
00:38:10,500 --> 00:38:17,240
And there's a day coming when God has

470
00:38:17,240 --> 00:38:34,260
allowed men to shake their fists, and

471
00:38:34,260 --> 00:38:45,780
everyone who, and

472
00:38:45,780 --> 00:38:49,620
that sin might be put down once and

473
00:38:49,620 --> 00:38:50,140
forever.

474
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:01,120
The coming of the day of God.

475
00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:02,740
But you know, that's quite a mistake.

476
00:39:03,060 --> 00:39:05,100
You can't hasten the coming of the day

477
00:39:05,100 --> 00:39:05,540
of God.

478
00:39:05,900 --> 00:39:08,240
By lives of holiness and by lives of

479
00:39:08,240 --> 00:39:16,030
debt, the day of God is fixed in

480
00:39:16,030 --> 00:39:17,330
God's eternal purpose.

481
00:39:19,270 --> 00:39:22,250
Hasten it, but we should be hastening or

482
00:39:22,250 --> 00:39:26,250
earnestly desiring the coming of the day of

483
00:39:26,250 --> 00:39:26,510
God.

484
00:39:26,750 --> 00:39:29,730
Now I noticed that three times in this

485
00:39:29,730 --> 00:39:33,910
chapter, the Apostle Peter speaks about the heavens

486
00:39:33,910 --> 00:39:37,410
and the earth being destroyed by fervent heat.

487
00:39:38,210 --> 00:39:39,670
Why three times?

488
00:39:39,870 --> 00:39:41,890
Well, a three-fold cord is not easily

489
00:39:41,890 --> 00:39:45,550
broken, and the mighty thing be established.

490
00:39:46,010 --> 00:39:47,850
And I think the Spirit of God is

491
00:39:47,850 --> 00:39:52,050
purposely repeating this over and over again to

492
00:39:52,050 --> 00:39:53,570
show the solemnity.

493
00:39:59,430 --> 00:40:03,170
This world is going to be destroyed by

494
00:40:03,170 --> 00:40:04,510
fervent heat.

495
00:40:04,630 --> 00:40:06,970
The heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,

496
00:40:07,630 --> 00:40:10,670
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.

497
00:40:11,070 --> 00:40:13,350
Dear friends, when that day comes, there'll be

498
00:40:13,350 --> 00:40:17,350
only one thing that will really count, and

499
00:40:17,350 --> 00:40:20,750
that will be, what have you done with

500
00:40:20,750 --> 00:40:21,870
the Christ of God?

501
00:40:22,090 --> 00:40:25,630
Nothing else will be of importance in that

502
00:40:25,630 --> 00:40:25,950
day.

503
00:40:26,970 --> 00:40:30,050
He says in verse 13, Nevertheless, we according

504
00:40:30,050 --> 00:40:32,810
to his promise look for new heavens and

505
00:40:32,810 --> 00:40:37,740
a new earth, wherein the theme where the

506
00:40:37,740 --> 00:40:39,880
Lord Jesus Christ will have delivered up the

507
00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:45,080
kingdom to God might be all in all.

508
00:40:45,140 --> 00:40:48,420
This is the eternal state that Peter is

509
00:40:48,420 --> 00:40:53,000
speaking about in verse 13, the eternal state,

510
00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:55,160
a new heaven and a new earth.

511
00:40:55,480 --> 00:40:56,740
Now a lot of people want to know,

512
00:40:56,880 --> 00:40:58,420
well, what's the difference between the new heavens

513
00:40:58,420 --> 00:41:00,160
and the new earth, and who will dwell

514
00:41:00,160 --> 00:41:02,100
on the new heavens, and who will dwell

515
00:41:02,100 --> 00:41:02,780
on the new earth?

516
00:41:03,140 --> 00:41:06,120
Well, a lot of Bible teachers suggest that

517
00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:09,760
saved Israel will dwell in the new earth

518
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:12,740
for all eternity, and that the church will

519
00:41:12,740 --> 00:41:13,760
dwell in the new heaven.

520
00:41:14,220 --> 00:41:15,680
Well, it's an interesting thought.

521
00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:22,350
I think it's just enough to have a

522
00:41:22,350 --> 00:41:25,370
new earth, and God will be all in

523
00:41:25,370 --> 00:41:25,730
all.

524
00:41:26,150 --> 00:41:28,110
Well, then in verse 14, we learn that

525
00:41:28,110 --> 00:41:30,610
we should have as believers a zeal for

526
00:41:30,610 --> 00:41:36,290
peace and spotlessness and blamelessness in his sight.

527
00:41:36,770 --> 00:41:39,510
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such

528
00:41:39,510 --> 00:41:42,670
things, be diligent that ye may be found

529
00:41:42,670 --> 00:41:46,970
of him in peace without spot and blameless.

530
00:41:47,950 --> 00:41:50,690
Now, every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ

531
00:41:50,690 --> 00:41:53,150
has peace with God through the Lord Jesus

532
00:41:53,150 --> 00:41:56,770
Christ, and has a positional standing before God

533
00:41:56,770 --> 00:41:58,850
where he's without spot and blameless.

534
00:41:59,350 --> 00:42:01,790
But this is speaking of the believer's practical

535
00:42:01,790 --> 00:42:05,070
condition, and it tells us that we should

536
00:42:05,070 --> 00:42:10,720
be looking for the coming in the midst

537
00:42:10,720 --> 00:42:14,660
of turmoil and changing circumstances and rising and

538
00:42:14,660 --> 00:42:15,940
falling kingdoms.

539
00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:18,680
And it also tells us that practically our

540
00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:22,960
lives should be without spot and blameless in

541
00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:25,140
his sight, so that when he shall appear,

542
00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:29,260
we might have confidence and not be ashamed

543
00:42:29,260 --> 00:42:32,020
before him at his coming.

544
00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:36,600
It's all too possible for a Christian person

545
00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:38,640
to be saved by the peace of God,

546
00:42:39,020 --> 00:42:40,420
and yet go home to heaven in a

547
00:42:40,420 --> 00:42:44,780
very real sense with stained garments, and with

548
00:42:44,780 --> 00:42:47,440
a wasted life as well.

549
00:42:47,740 --> 00:42:50,700
Then the apostle Peter tells us also that

550
00:42:50,700 --> 00:42:55,140
we should understand the reasons for God's delay.

551
00:42:55,780 --> 00:43:01,020
An account that the long sighted that means

552
00:43:01,020 --> 00:43:03,600
that we as believers are just to understand

553
00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:09,060
that the reason for God's delay is that

554
00:43:09,060 --> 00:43:11,120
we might go out to men and women

555
00:43:11,120 --> 00:43:12,480
throughout the world.

556
00:43:12,840 --> 00:43:14,460
And that doesn't mean that we should just

557
00:43:14,460 --> 00:43:18,140
sit back passively and see it take place,

558
00:43:18,240 --> 00:43:20,660
but that the Lord should use us in

559
00:43:20,660 --> 00:43:23,940
seeking to win others to himself during this

560
00:43:23,940 --> 00:43:26,920
day of God's wonderful patience.

561
00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:30,580
Now Peter says that Paul had written to

562
00:43:30,580 --> 00:43:33,020
them in a similar vein according to the

563
00:43:33,020 --> 00:43:35,460
wisdom given to him, and he had said

564
00:43:35,460 --> 00:43:36,740
the same thing.

565
00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:41,300
As in all his epistles, speaking in them

566
00:43:41,300 --> 00:43:43,880
of those things in which are some things

567
00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:46,880
hard to be understood, which they that are

568
00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:49,700
unlearned and unstable rest, as they do also

569
00:43:49,700 --> 00:43:52,280
the other scriptures, unto their own distrust.

570
00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:53,900
He says, I'm not the only one that

571
00:43:53,900 --> 00:43:56,580
says this of Paul.

572
00:43:56,800 --> 00:43:59,100
He says the same thing, and in all

573
00:43:59,100 --> 00:44:01,900
the other scriptures they have a united testimony.

574
00:44:02,500 --> 00:44:04,800
And incidentally, it's nice to see that Peter

575
00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:12,080
here puts Paul's writings on the scriptures of

576
00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:12,980
the Old Testament.

577
00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:15,320
He says that the writings of Paul are

578
00:44:17,340 --> 00:44:19,720
just as the writings of the Old Testament

579
00:44:19,720 --> 00:44:20,320
are.

580
00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:24,240
And then in verses 17 and 18, you

581
00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:28,120
have closing exhortation and benediction.

582
00:44:28,380 --> 00:44:30,140
First of all, you have the negative.

583
00:44:30,500 --> 00:44:31,780
Don't be led astray.

584
00:44:31,780 --> 00:44:35,420
He's been speaking about the false teachers that

585
00:44:35,420 --> 00:44:38,420
would be abroad in the last days, and

586
00:44:38,420 --> 00:44:41,240
he says now, don't be led astray by

587
00:44:41,240 --> 00:44:41,380
them.

588
00:44:41,500 --> 00:44:44,600
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things

589
00:44:44,600 --> 00:44:48,140
before, beware lest ye also, being led away

590
00:44:48,140 --> 00:44:51,000
with the error of the wicked, fall from

591
00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:52,010
your own steadfastness.

592
00:44:52,010 --> 00:44:54,550
Be on your guard, he says to these

593
00:44:54,550 --> 00:44:56,590
Christian believers in the last days.

594
00:44:58,480 --> 00:45:01,060
You're going to see your friends drift off

595
00:45:01,060 --> 00:45:05,280
into evil doctrines and evil practices.

596
00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:07,820
Be on your guard, see it doesn't happen

597
00:45:07,820 --> 00:45:08,700
to you.

598
00:45:08,940 --> 00:45:10,700
And then the positive side of it, the

599
00:45:10,700 --> 00:45:14,200
growing grace and in the knowledge of our

600
00:45:14,200 --> 00:45:16,440
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

601
00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:18,460
This is the way he began the epistle,

602
00:45:18,820 --> 00:45:24,520
telling us of the knowledge and safeguard of

603
00:45:24,520 --> 00:45:27,980
God's people in the day of apostasy and

604
00:45:27,980 --> 00:45:28,640
declension.

605
00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:31,360
And then I'm especially pleased with that last

606
00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:38,870
part, to him be glory both now and

607
00:45:38,870 --> 00:45:39,230
forever.

608
00:45:39,330 --> 00:45:39,950
To whom?

609
00:45:40,230 --> 00:45:42,710
Well, the preceding words tell you, our Lord

610
00:45:42,710 --> 00:45:44,190
and Savior Jesus Christ.

611
00:45:44,510 --> 00:45:47,010
He says to him be glory both now

612
00:45:47,010 --> 00:45:47,610
and forever.

613
00:45:47,610 --> 00:45:49,730
Now, you know, if the Lord Jesus Christ

614
00:45:49,730 --> 00:45:52,150
were not God, it would be blasphemy to

615
00:45:52,150 --> 00:45:52,650
say that.

616
00:45:53,110 --> 00:45:55,470
Because God has decreed that only God is

617
00:45:55,470 --> 00:45:56,350
to be worshipped.

618
00:45:56,990 --> 00:46:01,030
Only God is to be reverenced and homage

619
00:46:01,030 --> 00:46:01,950
done unto him.

620
00:46:02,330 --> 00:46:04,930
And here is Peter saying to Jesus Christ,

621
00:46:05,210 --> 00:46:07,430
be glory both now and forever.

622
00:46:07,510 --> 00:46:08,070
What does it mean?

623
00:46:08,070 --> 00:46:11,970
He believed in the absolute deity of the

624
00:46:11,970 --> 00:46:13,510
Lord Jesus Christ.

625
00:46:13,590 --> 00:46:16,770
What a wonderful thing, an epistle, dealing with

626
00:46:16,770 --> 00:46:18,630
false teachings in the last days.

627
00:46:18,810 --> 00:46:22,130
That Peter's closing note should be the deity

628
00:46:22,130 --> 00:46:24,520
of Christ.

629
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:27,720
That's the cardinal truth of the Christian faith,

630
00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:33,790
and that's the day.

631
00:46:34,450 --> 00:46:36,590
Now, in the closing moments, I'd like to

632
00:46:36,590 --> 00:46:41,330
speak especially of the Savior.

633
00:46:41,330 --> 00:46:46,860
This is a very solemn chapter of the

634
00:46:46,860 --> 00:46:49,640
word of God, and it's to my shame

635
00:46:49,640 --> 00:46:52,080
and to the shame of God's people that

636
00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:54,960
we can even speak about it without tears

637
00:46:54,960 --> 00:46:55,600
in our eyes.

638
00:46:56,260 --> 00:46:57,640
But I want to tell you it's a

639
00:46:57,640 --> 00:47:02,800
solemn thing to think of living souls, perhaps

640
00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:08,060
in our meeting tonight, men and women, born

641
00:47:08,060 --> 00:47:13,500
for eternal glory, and yet, by deliberate choice,

642
00:47:13,620 --> 00:47:21,290
refusing the soul, plunging down to eternal fire.

643
00:47:25,330 --> 00:47:28,570
And I'd like to tell you, as simply

644
00:47:28,570 --> 00:47:33,030
as I know how, what it would mean

645
00:47:33,030 --> 00:47:36,910
to you tonight to trust the Son of

646
00:47:36,910 --> 00:47:38,850
God and to go out one of those

647
00:47:38,850 --> 00:47:42,610
doors as saved as God can make.

648
00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:48,440
We have a young fellow at our school.

649
00:47:48,580 --> 00:47:49,400
Some of you know him.

650
00:47:49,440 --> 00:47:53,410
His name is Larry Smith, and he was

651
00:47:53,410 --> 00:47:54,610
down at Fort Bragg.

652
00:47:54,690 --> 00:47:55,710
He was a paratrooper.

653
00:47:57,070 --> 00:47:58,850
And one day he was in my office,

654
00:47:58,990 --> 00:48:01,130
and I said to him, tell me about

655
00:48:01,130 --> 00:48:02,750
your first parachute jump.

656
00:48:03,170 --> 00:48:04,290
He said, I'll do it.

657
00:48:05,270 --> 00:48:09,370
He told me about this plane flying over

658
00:48:09,370 --> 00:48:12,830
the countryside in North Carolina, a thousand feet

659
00:48:12,830 --> 00:48:13,590
above the ground.

660
00:48:14,230 --> 00:48:16,870
Two doors open at the front of it,

661
00:48:16,930 --> 00:48:17,910
one on either side.

662
00:48:18,850 --> 00:48:21,250
The fellows are sitting there, the command comes

663
00:48:21,250 --> 00:48:23,830
for them to stand up, and Larry moves

664
00:48:23,830 --> 00:48:24,970
toward the front door.

665
00:48:25,470 --> 00:48:28,510
And there's the plane, and it's way above

666
00:48:28,510 --> 00:48:31,230
the North Carolina country.

667
00:48:37,290 --> 00:48:39,830
He's got his parachute, his main parachute on

668
00:48:39,830 --> 00:48:41,770
the back and his reserve on the front.

669
00:48:41,770 --> 00:48:44,170
And he's standing there at the front door

670
00:48:44,170 --> 00:48:46,490
of the plane, and the noise is deafening,

671
00:48:46,630 --> 00:48:50,130
the noise of the engines and the noise

672
00:48:50,130 --> 00:48:53,130
of the wind hissing by the door.

673
00:48:54,590 --> 00:48:56,650
He has to wait for a green light

674
00:48:56,650 --> 00:48:57,890
to go on.

675
00:49:00,870 --> 00:49:02,210
The green light goes on above him, and

676
00:49:02,210 --> 00:49:03,290
he doesn't even see it.

677
00:49:04,250 --> 00:49:06,150
But the man behind him sees it, and

678
00:49:06,150 --> 00:49:07,690
gives him a slap on the side.

679
00:49:08,150 --> 00:49:10,530
And when he gets that slap, he hunches

680
00:49:10,530 --> 00:49:13,330
his head forward, and he jumps out of

681
00:49:13,330 --> 00:49:13,750
the plane.

682
00:49:19,150 --> 00:49:22,990
And he counts one thousand, two thousand, three

683
00:49:22,990 --> 00:49:24,350
thousand, four thousand.

684
00:49:24,430 --> 00:49:27,370
He looks up, and there is a great

685
00:49:27,370 --> 00:49:32,050
canopy of the parachute billowing out above him.

686
00:49:34,830 --> 00:49:37,130
And within just a few seconds, he sees

687
00:49:37,130 --> 00:49:39,390
the ground racing up at him.

688
00:49:40,350 --> 00:49:42,550
And he prepares, and when he hits the

689
00:49:42,550 --> 00:49:44,510
ground, he does his, what he calls a

690
00:49:44,510 --> 00:49:49,580
PLF, his parachute safely in the ground, and

691
00:49:49,580 --> 00:49:51,080
then he's on his feet watching his...

692
00:49:53,650 --> 00:49:54,950
Do you know what was an act of

693
00:49:54,950 --> 00:49:55,350
faith?

694
00:49:56,490 --> 00:49:58,030
It was a real act of faith.

695
00:49:58,810 --> 00:50:00,750
Do you know that when that young fellow

696
00:50:00,750 --> 00:50:05,030
did that, he trusted himself, every bit of

697
00:50:05,030 --> 00:50:06,350
him, to a piece of silk?

698
00:50:06,350 --> 00:50:07,930
That's what he did.

699
00:50:08,890 --> 00:50:12,070
He said, I believe that that piece of

700
00:50:12,070 --> 00:50:18,340
silk will operate, that it'll save me, that

701
00:50:18,340 --> 00:50:20,400
it'll bring me down to the ground in

702
00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:20,740
security.

703
00:50:23,390 --> 00:50:24,910
Listen, there's more to it than that.

704
00:50:26,230 --> 00:50:27,750
I don't know how many of you have

705
00:50:27,750 --> 00:50:30,510
ever been in the service, and have ever

706
00:50:30,510 --> 00:50:34,530
come in contact with parachute riggers, but I've

707
00:50:34,530 --> 00:50:35,630
been in contact with them.

708
00:50:35,630 --> 00:50:37,410
We had them at our base in the

709
00:50:37,410 --> 00:50:37,650
Navy.

710
00:50:38,430 --> 00:50:40,550
I never knew any fellows who drank more

711
00:50:40,550 --> 00:50:40,830
heavily.

712
00:50:44,210 --> 00:50:47,030
And you know, that day Larry Smith trusted

713
00:50:47,030 --> 00:50:51,420
himself to a parachute rigger whom he had

714
00:50:51,420 --> 00:50:51,960
never met.

715
00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:57,350
And for all he knew, that fellow was

716
00:50:57,350 --> 00:51:01,070
just a drunkard, for all he knew.

717
00:51:02,210 --> 00:51:03,930
But never mind, he trusted himself to him,

718
00:51:03,990 --> 00:51:06,230
he hunched his head forward, and jumped out

719
00:51:06,230 --> 00:51:06,890
of the plane.

720
00:51:06,890 --> 00:51:14,590
You know, men say, I wish I could

721
00:51:14,590 --> 00:51:15,850
trust the Lord Jesus.

722
00:51:17,010 --> 00:51:19,410
You tell them your testimony of faith in

723
00:51:19,410 --> 00:51:22,470
Christ, they say, I wish I could believe

724
00:51:22,470 --> 00:51:23,330
like you believe.

725
00:51:23,330 --> 00:51:26,170
Listen, that's just the mix.

726
00:51:28,440 --> 00:51:30,600
They can trust a piece of silk.

727
00:51:31,720 --> 00:51:35,520
They can trust a parachute rigger whom they've

728
00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:38,240
never met, and who for all they know,

729
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:41,300
might be a deep-dyed drunkard.

730
00:51:41,480 --> 00:51:42,260
They can trust him.

731
00:51:42,260 --> 00:51:48,850
And my dear friends, when you come before

732
00:51:48,850 --> 00:51:52,170
the Lord, that you acknowledge the fact that

733
00:51:52,170 --> 00:51:55,450
you are a sinner, when you're utterly broken

734
00:51:55,450 --> 00:51:59,010
at Calvary, so that you don't have a

735
00:51:59,010 --> 00:52:01,510
good word to say in defense of yourself,

736
00:52:02,850 --> 00:52:05,410
and you take that step of faith, and

737
00:52:05,410 --> 00:52:10,390
say, Lord Jesus, I trust myself to thee,

738
00:52:11,030 --> 00:52:13,550
spirit, soul, and body.

739
00:52:13,550 --> 00:52:18,050
The best way I know how, I commit

740
00:52:18,050 --> 00:52:21,470
myself to thee, for the saving of my

741
00:52:21,470 --> 00:52:21,870
soul.

742
00:52:22,230 --> 00:52:24,530
The minute you do that, God saves your

743
00:52:24,530 --> 00:52:26,890
soul, and you're as saved as God can

744
00:52:26,890 --> 00:52:27,250
make you.

745
00:52:29,130 --> 00:52:31,610
God saves you on the basis of the

746
00:52:31,610 --> 00:52:36,710
work of the Lord Jesus Christ 1900 years

747
00:52:36,710 --> 00:52:37,170
ago.

748
00:52:37,890 --> 00:52:40,390
That was a finished work that cannot be

749
00:52:40,390 --> 00:52:41,510
improved on.

750
00:52:41,990 --> 00:52:44,390
And the moment you commit yourself to him,

751
00:52:45,190 --> 00:52:46,910
you're absolutely saved.

752
00:52:46,910 --> 00:52:49,790
And I tell you tonight that God broods

753
00:52:49,790 --> 00:52:50,670
over this scene.

754
00:52:51,110 --> 00:52:54,090
God broods over this meeting tonight, and he's

755
00:52:54,090 --> 00:52:58,690
waiting for somebody to take that step.

756
00:53:00,680 --> 00:53:03,420
I wonder if it'll be you.

757
00:53:07,100 --> 00:53:09,300
I wonder if you're going to say tonight,

758
00:53:09,420 --> 00:53:14,180
Lord Jesus, the best way I know how,

759
00:53:14,600 --> 00:53:16,560
I commit myself to thee.

760
00:53:16,560 --> 00:53:21,640
I've been fighting you, I've been resisting you,

761
00:53:23,400 --> 00:53:27,080
and I've been reaping the bitter dregs of

762
00:53:27,080 --> 00:53:27,860
my sin.

763
00:53:28,700 --> 00:53:30,940
Now I want to turn my back on

764
00:53:30,940 --> 00:53:33,500
it, and I want to turn my life

765
00:53:33,500 --> 00:53:35,300
over to thee.

766
00:53:36,240 --> 00:53:38,300
I wonder if God is speaking to some

767
00:53:38,300 --> 00:53:39,200
heart here tonight.

768
00:53:41,710 --> 00:53:44,590
I wonder if the Spirit of God is

769
00:53:44,590 --> 00:53:45,650
dealing with someone.

770
00:53:48,060 --> 00:53:50,540
Do you feel your heart beat faster tonight?

771
00:53:51,880 --> 00:53:53,220
Do you know the issues?

772
00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:58,300
I wonder if you're going to yield to

773
00:53:58,300 --> 00:53:58,800
the Savior.

774
00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:00,920
I wonder if you're going to say, nay,

775
00:54:01,660 --> 00:54:03,620
but I yield, I yield.

776
00:54:03,620 --> 00:54:06,100
I can hold out no more.

777
00:54:06,920 --> 00:54:11,600
I think my dying love compels and owns

778
00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:12,060
thee.

779
00:54:13,850 --> 00:54:14,470
He's waiting.

780
00:54:15,630 --> 00:54:18,750
He's been waiting a long time, hasn't he?

781
00:54:21,400 --> 00:54:23,140
I wonder if you'll open the door tonight

782
00:54:23,140 --> 00:54:27,160
and say, come into my heart, Lord Jesus,

783
00:54:27,300 --> 00:54:29,200
there's room in my heart for thee.

784
00:54:29,820 --> 00:54:31,960
Dwell in my heart, Lord Jesus.

785
00:54:33,040 --> 00:54:39,230
For time, God is waiting, waiting to see

786
00:54:39,230 --> 00:54:42,110
you take the step of faith, waiting to

787
00:54:42,110 --> 00:54:45,450
hear the cry of the lost sheep.

788
00:54:46,510 --> 00:54:48,730
I'll tell you, if you take a step

789
00:54:48,730 --> 00:54:52,850
toward him, he'll run and fall on your

790
00:54:52,850 --> 00:54:53,910
neck and kiss you.

791
00:54:55,110 --> 00:54:56,090
He really will.

792
00:54:56,590 --> 00:54:57,550
Will you do it tonight?

793
00:54:58,610 --> 00:55:01,350
Our brother Jim comes and leads us in

794
00:55:01,350 --> 00:55:03,090
a closing hymn of invitation.

795
00:55:05,100 --> 00:55:06,900
Will you, sitting there in your seat, say,

796
00:55:07,000 --> 00:55:08,460
yes, Lord Jesus, this is going to be

797
00:55:08,460 --> 00:55:09,040
the night.

798
00:55:11,190 --> 00:55:13,090
This is why you wanted me to come

799
00:55:13,090 --> 00:55:13,910
here to Bristol.

800
00:55:15,230 --> 00:55:16,970
I'm going to get it settled tonight.

801
00:55:19,060 --> 00:55:22,100
Maybe there's somebody here, and maybe you think

802
00:55:22,100 --> 00:55:23,980
in the past you might have been saved,

803
00:55:24,080 --> 00:55:25,060
and yet you're not sure.

804
00:55:25,180 --> 00:55:26,340
There's a doubt in your mind.

805
00:55:26,880 --> 00:55:27,940
Why don't you get it settled?

806
00:55:29,830 --> 00:55:31,590
Why don't you say, Lord, if I never

807
00:55:31,590 --> 00:55:34,570
was really saved before, tonight's going to be

808
00:55:34,570 --> 00:55:35,170
the night.

809
00:55:35,870 --> 00:55:37,010
I see it all.

810
00:55:37,750 --> 00:55:39,330
I see how that young fellow took his

811
00:55:39,330 --> 00:55:44,230
parachute jump, and I realize that spiritually it's

812
00:55:44,230 --> 00:55:47,290
the same idea, only it's trusting somebody who

813
00:55:47,290 --> 00:55:47,710
cannot.

814
00:55:49,340 --> 00:55:50,300
Will you do it?

815
00:55:51,240 --> 00:55:52,460
I pray that you will.

816
00:55:53,840 --> 00:55:55,620
And if you do trust the Lord Jesus,

817
00:55:55,760 --> 00:55:57,300
make it known afterward.

818
00:55:58,420 --> 00:55:59,800
Don't keep it a secret.

819
00:56:00,800 --> 00:56:03,580
If he's worth trusting, he's worth confessing.

820
00:56:04,480 --> 00:56:07,180
If he isn't worth confessing, he isn't worth

821
00:56:07,180 --> 00:56:07,600
anything.

822
00:56:09,690 --> 00:56:11,590
So if you trust him tonight, make it

823
00:56:11,590 --> 00:56:15,870
known, and we'll rejoice with you in your

824
00:56:15,870 --> 00:56:17,150
newfound salvation.