In our morning services we’ve just finished a series through Joel, the small Old Testament prophetic book. We saw how Joel declared to the people that the devastating locust plagues and droughts they’d been experiencing were but a foretaste of a much worse and more terrifying day of the Lord’s judgement. Joel says, it ‘is near and will come as devastation from the Almighty’, a day of darkness and gloom, and trembling (Joel 1:15; 2:2-3:31). Present disasters and future judgment should motivate people to call to the Lord now (Joel 1:19), turn to the Lord with all our hearts (Joel 2:12), and find refuge in the LORD – in the Lord Jesus (Joel 3:16).
The apostle Peter speaks of ‘the day of the Lord’ coming like a thief – an unexpected surprise, or terrible shock. For 2 Peter 3:10 reveals it will involve the world being burned and dissolved and everyone’s deeds exposed. While people will question and doubt it’s going to happen, it will certainly be a day of fire, judgement and destruction for the ungodly (2 Peter 3:7). This is frightening. We don’t like to think about this, nor our friends and loved ones experiencing this. But our Lord warns us for our sake, and their sake, so we and they would be ready.
And Peter wants us to respond in two ways:
1. With godly living v11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness,v12 as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming.
And as we focus on our Meet Jesus mission this year, we do well to remember the huge part the way we live plays in our witness:
- By our love will people know we are Jesus’ disciples (John 13:35)
- If we live honourable lives with good works unbelievers will come to glorify God when he comes (1 Peter 2:12), potentially as our changed lives attract them to Christ and move them to follow him too.
- Even wives with unbelieving husbands may ‘win them over without a word by the way’ they live – pure and reverent lives (1 Peter 3:1-2).
Our lives matter. We want to make the Gospel attractive (Titus 2:10).
How are you going at that?
Is there an aspect of your life with your family, your work colleagues or fellow students that needs to change?
Are you living a life of generous love, peace and hope, that your non-Christian friend wants what you have, and may then accept an invitation to read the bible with you, investigate Jesus, or come to a mission talk in August?
God says the way we live matters.
2. The second way God asks us to respond is with patience while we wait for Jesus’ return, and patience & perseverance in seeking people’s repentance (2 Peter 3:8-9).
The Lord is patient, wanting to give people time to repent.
That means the Lord is giving us time to tell people the good news that if they repent and turn to God their sins will be wiped out (Acts 3:19). Stronger than that, Paul speaking to non-believers in Acts 17 says ‘now God commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). And God has set a day when he will judge the world by the man he has appointed.
Who is that man? Paul says, it’s the one he raised from the dead – the Lord Jesus.
I know that speaking to people about a judgement to come and repentance is hard. I find it hard, really hard, and in 1-1 conversations with non-Christians I usually shy away from it, talking only of the positives trusting Jesus brings. I’m challenged by what Peter and Paul preached and taught. I need to be moved by the reality that judgment is coming and show some guts, and love, and faith, to tell people the truth.
If I know a bridge is collapsed ahead and people could drive over a cliff to their death, I will warn people, if I love my neighbour. Warning is an important expression of love.
How would I respond if my cousin said on judgment day, ‘Clinton, you didn’t even tell me about the judgement to come. Why didn’t you warn me?’
I need to pray for love, for boldness, for opportunities.
For wisdom to make the most of opportunities and not bible bash people or preach at them.
I need to pray for a strength that only God can give me, cos’ I’m weak.
But in love, let’s let people know that now is the time to turn back to God by trusting in Jesus.
Let’s pray for this in our growth groups, encourage each other in our growth groups; let’s rejoice in the helpful conversations, and support one another when conversations don’t go as we’d like.
The Day of the Lord judgement is coming, it hasn’t come yet, and God is giving people time to repent. And that’s good news, so let’s make the most of the time we have.
God bless you brothers and sisters.
