What Are You Waiting For?
2 Peter 3
3 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.
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.
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.
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. 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. 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 lawless and 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.
This Sunday’s service can be viewed on our Facebook page @ Sunday, October 27, 2024
What are you waiting for? This question id often posed to someone who is having difficulty making a move, or to someone experiencing 'decision paralysis.' This question can be posed literally as well: "What are you waiting for?" This would be asked of someone who is in a posture of waiting, or appears to be waiting on something/someone. It is asked in earnest.
As we conclude our series on 2 Peter, we will spend time this week in 2 Peter 3, where the writer of Peter addresses the #1 question that was posed to Jesus followers in the First Century, and has been asked over the past 2,000 years: "When is Jesus coming back? How will He appear? Is He really returning? If so, how can you be certain?"
As we read this letter 2K years later, the reminders throughout 1 and 2 Peter are just as applicable today, as when they were shared to the early churches. We receive perspective and encouragement as we read them together. I encourage you to read this chapter before Sunday, and sit with the words patience, kindness, longing, returning, growth. grace and knowledge. Ask Jesus what He wants you to know about waiting, as we wait for His return with longing, hope, and with patience. And, I offer this: Just because we are waiting for someone or something, doesn't make it any less real or not happening.
I also want to encourage you about the discipline of waiting NewDay Covenant has been in for quite sometime now. Currently, you are waiting for a new pastor to come. You are waiting for a new beginning and a new chapter for NewDay as a church. As someone who doesn't always appreciate the process of waiting, I want to encourage you to keep leaning into it as we go through this together. See what God has for you in the waiting. What does God want us to learn and practice as a church as we wait? Ask Him to help us love Him more dearly, see Him more clearly, and follow Him more nearly in this time of waiting. (Lectio35)
I am grateful for you all! And, look forward to seeing you Sunday.
In Christ,
Pastor Kari
GATHERING FOR SUNDAY
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