Building and Battling While Waiting and Watching, Part 14 (Second Coming Chapel Sermon #298 with Daniel Whyte III)

Building and Battling While Waiting and Watching, Part 14 (Second Coming Chapel Sermon #298)

TEXT: 2 Peter 3:8-9

8 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.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

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Billy Graham, “Christ’s second coming reminds us that ultimately our hope is not in this world and its attempts to solve its problems, but in Christ’s promise to establish His perfect rule over all the earth.”

In our last message in this series, we looked at how the second coming seems delayed because God works on His own timetable, not man’s. Trust in God and know that in His sovereignty, all His plans will be fulfilled, and Jesus Christ will return to reign in righteousness.

Third, the second coming seems delayed because God desires that all would come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” In this verse we see the merciful heart of God. The reason why the second coming has not occurred yet is because God is longsuffering to sinful humanity. He is not willing that we should perish, even though we deserve it. God desires that all should come to repentance. This shows God’s heart of love for the world and His gracious compassion to a world that is filled with wickedness and ripe for righteous judgment. So great is God’s love for mankind, that He would have us all to be saved, and by His own Son’s death bestowed salvation on whoever would believe in Him. God has decreed that Jesus Christ’s return will not happen until the last person who will believe on the name of Christ does so. Longsuffering is defined as “patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship.” God gives sinful humanity more than enough space and time to repent and turn to Jesus Christ, even as humanity rebels against Him, disobeys His commandments, and turn their faces away from Him. Adam Clarke said, It is not slackness or remissness that induced God to prolong the respite of ungodly men; but his long-suffering, his unwillingness that any should perish: and therefore he spared them, that they might have additional offers of grace, and be led to repentance-to deplore their sins, implore God’s mercy, and find redemption through the blood of the Lamb. As God is not willing that any should perish, and as he is willing that all should come to repentance, consequently he has never devised nor decreed the damnation of any man, nor has he rendered it impossible for any soul to be saved, either by necessitating him to do evil, that he might die for it, or refusing him the means of recovery, without which he could not be saved.” Even as we desire the second coming of our King and Saviour, we ought to be thankful that He has not yet returned, so that more people can come to repentance and belief in Jesus Christ. We Christians need to proclaim the gospel to all people, telling them that it is God’s desire to “have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth,” while also warning them that those with hard and impenitent hearts are treasuring up “wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”

R. G. Staples wrote:

Jesus is coming, is coming again;
Shout the glad tidings, the good news proclaim;
Jesus is coming a King on His throne,
Jesus is coming to welcome His own.

Jesus is coming, redeemed ones, be glad;
Put on the garments of beauty— be clad;
Watching and waiting be, soon He will come,
Come in His grandeur to welcome you home.

Jesus is coming; O sinner, awake!
Free is salvation to all who partake;
Drink at the fountain that flows full and free,
Mercy and pardon are offered to thee.

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Now, if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, I urge you to trust in Him because He is coming again and you do not want to be left behind. Here is how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and the consequences of sin.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door.” Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.