1. 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.”

 

Jesus is coming again. For many the wait has been too long. It is like the little girl going fishing for the first time holding the line in the water. Finally, she throws down the pole and says, "I quit"

 

“What's wrong?" her father asks?

 

“It takes too long to get waited on"

           

We Americans do not handle delays very well. When airlines are off schedule people keep looking at their watches and wonder just how long the delays will last and how this will frustrate their future plans. No one likes delays. Yet we wait less today than men have ever waited. We travel at high-speeds waiting less to arrive at a distant place. Communications which formerly took months now are completed in seconds. Meals which used to take hours to cook are now done in minutes in microwave ovens. People used to have to wait until they had cash to purchase a new car or home. Now these things are bought on credit. Fewer people are willing to wait until marriage to enjoy the pleasures of sex.

           

The truth is men have been waiting on God all through history. Noah waited a good 100 years or so for the flood to come upon the earth Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for the birth of the son God had promised them. Abraham did not even possess the promised land in his lifetime, and it was more than 400 years until his descendants took possession of it.

           

As Christians we have been given insight into the future. We will be talking about the Day of the Lord this week, as we finish our series from 2 Peter. There is one thing we can say with complete confidence.  The future is in God's hand and things are going to get worse before they will get better, but for those in Jesus Christ there are great days ahead.  The message of the second coming is an encouraging message for those who know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. It is a discouraging tragedy for those who don't.

 

The key element to dealing with waiting and with scoffers who say He isn't coming can be summarized in one word: "remember". What does the Lord want us to remember as we await the return of Jesus?