It was the Highland Park Methodist Church. In fact it happened so long ago that I could mention the church without knowing the precise name of the pastor. Sometime ago, I mentioned to you an experience that one of my friends had with a pastor of a very large church in this city. So we’re not talking about the mocker or scoffer, who has no acquaintance with the Christian faith at all, but we’re talking about a scoffer who does have some acquaintance with the Christian faith, but being an unbeliever, he does not accept the things that are set forth in holy Scripture. He knows that the Bible does say something about the second coming or he knows that the Christians expect the second coming. Obviously, the person who denies the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus is a person who does know something about the Bible. This of course will be typical of those who do know something about the Scriptures. We still are the same creation that we were when the apostles were here, where is the promise of his coming? So, another one of the heresies of destruction will be the denial of the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is really not coming again, hundreds of years have passed by and nothing has changed in our creation. There, remember he had said, “but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in destructive heresies, (heresies of destruction) even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” And so it’s evident then that this is another one of these heresies of destruction. Now this is another one of the heresies of destruction that Peter has spoken about in chapter 2 verse 1. It is his prophecy that there shall arise in the last days, scoffers, who walking after their own lusts shall ask the believers, where is the promise of his coming? And then they shall give some rational reasons why all things have continued as they have been since the beginning of the creation and why we should not expect the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus. It’s evident that the doctrine that Peter particularly had to combat in these verses is the denial of the second coming of the Lord Jesus. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: by which the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. I’m reading from the Authorized Version if you have another version, you’ll understand therefore the slight differences that exist between this one and yours. Our subject has to do with the scoffers, or is it really true that God is not willing that any should perish? We look now at the first nine verses so I will read them, and you follow along in your text. Tonight we are turning to 2nd Peter chapter 3 and looking at the first nine verses. May his words be edifying to us in nineteen seventy-six. We ask now that as we look at 2nd Peter chapter 3 that Thou will give us understanding, enable us to grasp the things that have come before Peter’s mind as he sat down to write to the saints many hundreds of years ago. We thank Thee for the great truth of the second coming of Jesus Christ, and we thank Thee that we may through the Scriptures have a sure and settled hope as we look into the future, because our hope is grounded in the living and vital and reliable word of God. Father we again ask Thy blessing upon us as we study the Scriptures together.
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