July 27, 2025 • 49 mins
Have you ever made Kool-Aid and noticed how the sugary goodness settles to the bottom if left unstirred? That's exactly what happens to our spiritual lives when we forget the urgency of Christ's return. In this powerful message from 2 Peter 3:8-13, we explore how easily Christians can become "settled" rather than "stirred" in their faith.
Peter writes specifically to believers—not unbelievers—warning about scoffers who mock the promise of Christ's return by saying "all things continue as they were from the beginning." These "doubt evangelists" deliberately overlook God's past judgment through the flood and His promised future judgment through fire. When we adopt their thinking, even subtly, our spiritual fervor settles to the bottom of our lives.
What feels like God's slowness is actually His extraordinary patience. With stunning imagery, God is depicted as still "inhaling" before the exhale of judgment, giving time for repentance. This patience isn't a sign of His inability or reluctance but of His incredible grace toward us. The day of the Lord will come "like a thief"—unexpectedly and without warning—with the heavens passing away with a roar and everything exposed.
We're witnessing unprecedented spiritual movements globally: massive revivals across Africa, Asia, and South America; Bible translations reaching completion in nearly all known languages; and even young men returning to churches in America seeking godly direction. These aren't ordinary times—they're extraordinary moments calling for extraordinary faith.
When asked how they feel about Christ's return, some believers responded with "fear" and "judgment" while others said "excitement" and "hope." This stark contrast reveals much about whether our faith is settled or stirred. Rather than merely waiting passively, Peter calls us to both "wait for and hasten" Christ's coming through lives of holiness and active participation in God's mission.
What would change if you truly believed Jesus might return today? Would you live differently? Would your priorities shift? Don't let the spiritual nutrients of God's truth settle unused at the bottom of your life. Take up Peter's challenge to be stirred in your faith, living with joyful anticipation of the day when righteousness will dwell in new heavens and a new earth.
If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Where's our scripture this morning that we're going
to be reading from?
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Please turn to your Bibles, to 2 Peter, 3, 8 through
13, which is on page 1019 inyour pew Bibles, and follow
along as I read God's word.
(00:32):
But do not overlook this onefact beloved that with the day
with the lord, one day is as athousand years and a thousand
years is one day.
The lord is not slow to fulfillhis promises some count
slowness but is patient towardsyou, not wishing that any should
perish, but that all shouldreach repentance.
But the day of the Lord willcome like a thief, and then the
heavens will pass away with aroar and the heavenly bodies
(00:52):
will be burned up and dissolvedand the earth and the works that
are done in it will be exposed.
Since all these things are thusto be dissolved, what sort of
people ought you to be in livesof the holiness and godliness,
waiting for and hastening thecoming of the day of God,
because of which the heavenswill be set on fire and
(01:13):
dissolved and the heavenlybodies will melt as they burn?
But, according to his promises,we are waiting for new heavens
and a new earth in whichrighteousness dwells.
This is the word of the Lord.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Amen, amen.
Hey, out of curiosity, just byshow of hands, by the way,
you're going to want to be inone of the first two options,
just so you know.
When you read your Bible, I'mwondering how many of you are
paper Bibles and how many of youare digital Bibles.
Third would be none.
You're still welcome here.
If you're not reading yourBible, I'm really glad you're
(01:50):
here.
I guess there could be a fourthcategory, which is I do both,
but if you're both, like whichone is your typical?
By show of hands, how manypeople are typical paper Bibles?
Go, wow, that's amazing.
That sort of surprised me alittle bit.
I love it, I love it.
All right.
How many people are digitalBible readers?
Okay, why were y'all morereticent?
Did y'all see that Paper Biblesare like yep, I'm sanctified,
what's going on?
I know how to flip to it.
(02:12):
Digital folks are like yep,it's right here, I'm in it, I'm
in it.
Okay, good stuff.
I've become more.
Oh, all of that is a transition.
Pull your phones out for just amoment, if you would.
I've become more digitalbecause I do a lot of my sermon
writing and stuff on an iPad now, and so I've just naturally
begun reading there more.
Here's what I'd like you to do,if you do not mind.
(02:33):
Certainly you don't have toplay along.
Do you guys have me back there?
It is QR code if you don't knowhow those work.
You're 50 or older and justfind a young person around you.
They'll help you out with that.
But if you guys would go ahead,get this QR code, take a couple
of minutes.
I'd like for you to answer thequestion.
(02:53):
When you think of these wordsthat Pat just read to us, the
day of the Lord, the last day,the day of judgment, what word
or what feeling comes to mind?
Just take a second over thenext minute or two and throw
those in.
I'm looking for phones up.
We still got a couple, allright, so we have been working
through 2 Peter.
We have two more weeks in it,including this week, and then we
(03:15):
may take a little standalonebefore, in the fall, we hop into
the book of Joshua.
I have been missing some OldTestament and Song of Solomon
was not quite enough, and sowe're going to be hopping into
Joshua in the fall.
Where we are right now is 2Peter uncommon conviction,
steadfast truth in shiftingtimes.
(03:36):
Peter is in prison.
He knows that he is on thelatter end of his life.
He is writing a letter to allof the Christians in his area
life.
He is writing a letter to allof the Christians in his area,
which the Holy Spirit held ontoand preserved for us 2,000 years
later.
Same truth in the middle ofshifting times, and there are a
number of convictions that Peterwants us to have.
(03:56):
And here is where we start.
This morning, peter says now,look, I've already written to
you once.
This is now the second letterthat I'm writing to you, beloved
.
One thing to note whenever yousee little keywords like this in
Scripture, take note what thisis telling us on the forefront
is is Peter, generally speaking,writing to Christians or
(04:20):
non-Christians at this moment inhis letter?
One, two, three go, yeah, okay,thank you, shane, loud and
proud.
So this two, three go, yeah,okay, thank you, shane, loud and
proud.
So this it that matters.
Does that mean Peter doesn'tcare about unbelievers?
No, of course not, but he isgiving specific direction to
those of us who have faith inChrist.
That's very important for youto know, because a lot of the
things that we're gonna look atPeter pointing to this morning
(04:42):
we would assume in sort of ourChristianese conversations.
He's talking to unbelievers,but I want you to realize Peter
is saying to the believer I amstirring you up, I'm stirring up
your sincere mind by way ofreminder, and this is important,
(05:03):
because we just spent two weekstalking about how knowledge is
insufficient.
We need faith more than we needknowledge.
Peter says now let me talkabout your mind, now let me talk
about your knowledge, let metalk about what you know of the
Lord, that you should rememberthe predictions of the holy
prophets and the commandments ofthe Lord and Savior through
your apostles.
He's saying I want you toremember the Old Testament, I
(05:24):
want you to remember the life ofChrist, I want you to remember
all of the things that God hasgiven us in his word, knowing
this first of all, that scofferswill come in the last days with
scoffing following their ownsinful desires.
There's a very deep theologicalcontext to this.
But when it says last days,many theologians interpret that
(05:48):
to mean the days between theresurrection of Christ and the
return of Christ, that, however,many years are packed into that
.
When you take a step back andyou see all that God has done in
creation, you and I are livingin the last days, this last era
of redemptive history, beforethe moment when a trumpet sounds
(06:10):
.
We just sang about it and herecomes Jesus and everything
changes forever.
Now I want you to notice thisbecause I have been convicted of
this and simultaneouslyencouraged.
I don't know about you, but, asChristian conviction and
encouragement don't always sitside by side, for me, if I'm
convicted I'm usually irritatedat myself, frustrated,
(06:31):
discouraged, depressed, angry,but in this case I have.
Will has personally beenconvicted and encouraged, and
it's this idea of I am stirringup your sincere mind.
I don't know what the sounds ofsummer are for you, but I will
(06:52):
give you one of mine from achildhood and you tell me if you
relate to this or not A plasticpitcher filled with water and a
wooden spoon always wooden,never plastic and the sound of
that wooden spoon bangingagainst the plastic, while what
was poured into the bottom?
Three, two, one, yes.
(07:14):
I don't know if that's like yougrew up rich or you grew up
poor, I don't know, but I grewup with Kool-Aid.
Some of you were like there'sno protein in that.
No, I grew up with Kool-Aid.
Some of you were like there'sno protein in that, no, no.
What are the healthy things youput in water, now Electrolytes.
I don't know.
I grew up with Kool-Aid, cupsof sugar and Kool-Aid, 90% of
(07:35):
the time red.
I don't know why, but that'sjust how it worked.
And the sound of that woodenspoon if it was a glass pitcher,
it was sweet tea the sound ofthat wooden spoon hitting the
sides of the plastic.
That is what makes me think ofsummer.
But if mom decided that a kidwas going to help stir the
(07:57):
Kool-Aid, there was a problem onthe first pour.
The problem was that thoselittle baby arms that were
stirring didn't do a good enoughjob.
And if you got the first pourof Kool-Aid, compared to the
lovely last pour of Kool-Aid, itwas a very different experience
.
Y'all know what I'm talkingabout.
If you don't, it's the samething if you've ever taken a
(08:19):
pre-workout at the gym andyou're 20 minutes in and you hit
the bottom and you just want torip your tongue out of your
mouth and throw it off to theside.
You've gotten a coffee beforeat Starbucks.
You were supposed to stir thething and you didn't and you get
to the bottom and it dries youout completely because you let
all that stuff drop to thebottom.
What is it that Peter iswanting you to do?
Here is what he's wanting tosay.
(08:39):
If you miss this, you're goingto miss it also.
Don't miss this.
Both cups have something inthem.
Is Peter writing primarily toChristians or non-Christians?
One, two, three Right.
That's why I circled beloved.
The question is not Christianin the room?
If you're not a Christian inthe room, I'm going to talk to
you in just a moment.
Christian in the room?
The question is not.
Do you have some knowledge ofthis?
(09:01):
The question is is it sittingin the bottom of the cup to
where what you're sipping ontoday you can't even taste it
anymore?
Or are you being stirred up tothe point that all of the
knowledge, that the spirit ofGod, that the word of God, that
the people of God that thepreachers of God have been
dumping into your plasticpitcher is stirred up?
(09:22):
Can you taste that sermon thatled you to Christ?
Can you taste that song Be Thoumy Vision from 15 years ago?
Or have you settled and whenyou go to the Lord it tastes
like water, with just a hint ofanything valuable, delightful,
(09:43):
enjoyable.
Peter is saying of anythingvaluable, delightful, enjoyable.
Peter is saying I am not.
I'm hopeful.
Peter's saying I wanna give youa word that stirs you up.
You may be here and, if you'rehonest, you would say well, I
remember being excited about theLord.
I remember being excited aboutwalking with him.
I remember being excited aboutsinging in worship and now I
(10:04):
don't make the first song, ifI'm honest.
I remember being excited tocrack my Bible open to talk to
people, to pray for others.
But Will?
What happened to that thing?
What if it didn't have to bethat way?
What if there was a way for youto, every time you sip, have
something that has not fallen tothe bottom?
(10:26):
I think this is what Peterwants for us, but there's a
warning he gives us on the frontend that scoffers will come in
the last days.
Why talk about scoffers in themidst of stirred or unstirred
souls?
You can look up whateverdefinition you want for a
scoffer.
I'll give you my definition ofit One who doubts out loud to
(10:49):
spread and justify their owndoubts.
That's what I would call ascoffer.
All of us have doubts in life.
All of us even have doubts ofscripture, of the Lord,
somewhere in us.
We are not fully formed andfully developed.
All of us have doubts.
But a scoffer is somebody whodoubts.
They doubt out loud.
They doubt to justify their ownposition, like, hey, we all
(11:09):
kind of struggle with this,right, like I'm okay, and they
would become what I would call adoubt evangelist.
Not a faith evangelist, but adoubt evangelist.
If I can cause you to doubt,then I can feel better about my
own doubts and I'm moreconcerned about how I feel than
what you feel.
There are going to be scofferswho come in in the last days and
when Peter is pointing to this,it is nefarious.
(11:31):
Some of us scoff just becausewe have bad attitudes, we
haven't had a quiet time, we areinsecure in our own faith, but
some people scoff simply becausethey do want to lead people
astray.
It might look something likethis thought Now let me be
honest with you.
I'm going to show you threethoughts today.
(11:52):
I have thought every one ofthem, so don't feel like.
Well, I am beyond the salvationof the Lord.
If you have ever felt the sunrose yesterday, it rose today.
It'll rise tomorrow too.
Judgment Doubt it.
I mean.
What are the odds Will?
We were here a week ago.
We're probably going to be herein a week.
Should I really navigate lifelike this?
(12:13):
Do I need to be stirred up thatmuch?
What are the odds of judgment?
But if you have thought that, Ijust want you to understand that
is one of the thoughts of thescoffers, or the doubt
evangelists that Peter istalking about.
This is what we see in versefour.
They, the scoffers, will saywhere's the promise of his
coming?
And they go way back on this,by the way, for ever since the
(12:34):
fathers fell asleep.
They're in Peter's day andthey're not talking about hey,
where's the promise of Jesus iscoming.
It's been 30, 40 years.
How much longer is it gonna be?
They're talking about Abraham.
They're talking about Isaac.
They're talking about Moses.
They're talking about Elijah,isaiah.
These guys have been talkingfor thousands of years, will?
(12:55):
All things are continuing asthey were from the beginning of
creation.
I'm not gonna ask anybody torespond or to raise a hand on
this one.
Have you ever had that thought?
I'm not going to ask anybody torespond or to raise a hand on
this one.
Have you ever had that thought?
Do you realize that Scripturecondemns that thought?
Do you realize that Scripturewould look at that thought and
it would say you've gotknowledge.
It's just dropped to the bottomof the pitcher.
(13:17):
It's no longer an activeknowledge in you.
You've tucked it away.
Given yourself a little bit ofcredit.
Hey, I've done what I've neededto do Water, sugar, that
beautiful Kool-Aid packet right,save one to dye your hair at
camp in three weeks.
I've put in the picture what Ineed to put in the picture and
Peter's saying, yeah, but you'restill stirring the thing up, or
are you just sipping off of thetop?
(13:39):
This is what they would say.
All things are continuing asthey were from the beginning,
continuing in verse five, god'sword would say they being the
scoffers, they deliberatelyoverlook this fact that the
heavens existed long ago and theearth was formed out of water
and through water, by the wordof God.
(14:01):
I'm underlining water and theword, because I want you to
notice a connection that Peter'sabout to make and that, by
means of these, by the means ofwater and by the means of the
word, this same world that wascreated using those two things
verse six by means of these theworld that then existed was
(14:22):
deluged with water and perish.
What is Peter saying?
The same stuff that createdthis world is the stuff that God
used to destroy it.
What old Bible story is hetalking about here.
It's the second time Peter'sbrought it up Noah.
He's talking about Noah.
He's saying what do you mean?
You're doubting judgment.
Can I remind you of Noah?
Can I remind you of Sodom andGomorrah?
(14:43):
Might I be able to remind youof Jonah?
Had the Ninevites not repented?
And he says look, here's thedeal, verse seven, but by the
same word.
The same word the heavens andthe earth that now exist are
stored up.
What was the promise that therainbow pointed to?
Never again will I flood theearth.
(15:04):
Which means, if this world isgonna go the earth, which means,
if this world is going to gothrough a second judgment, if
this world is going to gothrough a second renewal, a
second overthrow, is it going tobe by water?
No, but what is it going to be?
By the word of God.
And this is what Peter's saying.
The word of God brought allthings into creation.
In the past, he used water tocreate it and to uncreate it.
(15:25):
In the future, it is stored upfor fire, being kept until the
day of judgment and thedestruction of the ungodly.
They are, according to Peter'sword.
They are deliberatelyoverlooking a fact, deliberately
(15:48):
overlooking a fact this worldwas made and unmade.
It was remade and it will beunmade again.
I think Peter might put it thisway If you are sure that this
world exists, pause.
There's some people who doubtthis.
Okay, now that we have allkinds of like AI and simulation
runnings I have conversationswith people on the weekly what
are the odds?
This is real.
What are the odds?
(16:08):
We're not in a simulation andthey didn't realize.
This is what the matrix hasbeen trying to tell us since the
90s.
Okay, just so you know.
They figured it out in thematrix.
By the way, it's philosophythat goes all the way back to
Plato, but nonetheless, youhadn't figured something out,
right?
If you feel like, don't blogabout it.
You're not as impressive as youthink.
It's kind of what I'm tellingyou.
Humanity's been wondering thisfor a long time.
But if you think that thisworld exists, be just as sure
(16:33):
that it will end.
As sure as I am that this ishere.
I am sure that it will not beas sure as I am that this is
here.
I am sure that it will not be,because God's word has
guaranteed both it's guaranteedcreation and it has guaranteed
the fall.
From that.
Peter is writing that Godpreserved this thought, this
(16:59):
fact for you today.
Why?
That your mind would be stirredup, that your mind would be
stirred up so that you should dosomething.
You see, when we look at thisconcept, the settled person is
going to say this nothing's beendifferent for ages.
(17:19):
If I'm honest, I'm notexpecting anything.
I'm the person who has settled.
Remember, they've got stuff inthe bottom of the cup.
This isn't somebody who's not abeliever.
They are going to say what arethe odds Jesus returns before I
die?
Again, no show of hands.
But I'm betting a few of ushave been there.
Some of you may be activelyoperating off of that.
(17:40):
Do you realize?
That's what God's word wouldcall settled thought?
But a stirred person would saythis according to scripture is a
fact.
They deliberately overlook thisfact that judgment is real,
that the Bible is so clear onthis, that the day of the Lord
is absolutely coming, thatthings have definitely changed
(18:03):
before and they will definitelychange again.
The concept that I mean to giveyou the two, the settled thought
, is everything's the same asit's always been.
But anybody who would actuallywrestle with the facts would say
that can't be true.
There was a day when the worldexisted and then a flood came.
There was a day when the worldexisted and God has done this,
and God has done that, and Godhas done that.
(18:24):
Do you know what you are livingin right now?
One of the reasons I pointedout, scott, and the fact that
Logan is in the midst of Bibletranslation.
Do you know that?
Where you are, in human historyright now massive revival in
Africa, asia and South America.
Massive revival.
Africa went from 9% Christianabout a hundred years ago to 50%
(18:50):
Christian in about the past 100years.
Now just think about how longhumanity has existed.
And in about 100 years, lessthan 10% to 50%.
We are living in a differenttime.
Nearly the whole world has theBible or is going to have it
(19:10):
soon.
Anybody want to guess whatpercentage of languages we have
some of the Bible translatedinto?
Not the whole thing.
Anybody want to give me anumber One, two, three, 99.5.
Okay, don't get too encouraged.
99,.
Okay, don't get too encouraged.
We still need missionaries.
Hold tight.
99.5% of languages on theplanet have asterisk.
(19:35):
Number one some of the BibleCould be the book of Matthew.
That's still huge progress.
They have it in their language.
That doesn't mean they have itin their hands.
Okay, the expectation is thatall of the known languages on
the planet, by the early 2030s,will have some of the word of
God in their own language.
(19:56):
Can I just tell you that is avery different time than humans
have ever been in before.
We still need people to take itto them.
How many of you guys have theYouVersion Bible app?
Y'all know what I'm talking.
Yeah, you said not digital.
No, I know You're fine.
You're fine, I'm just messingwith you.
It's been installed 800 milliontimes in every country in the
(20:17):
world, and that's just one app.
And, interestingly, here at homein the United States, do you
know what's happening?
For the first time in decades,young men are showing up to
church.
I don't know if you know thisor not.
Church when I grew up was a lotof ladies.
It was a lot of women running alot of stuff, and we love that.
(20:42):
But boy, do we love seeingyoung men show up to church
asking questions like how can Ilive a godly life?
How can I say no to sexual sin,pornography and addiction?
How can I get my life on theright track so that I can lead
and love a woman and raisechildren that are on the right
path and will not walk away.
Do you realize?
We haven't had that happen inmy lifetime.
Young men are showing up tochurch more than young women are
showing up to church.
We are not living in the sametime.
(21:04):
This is a very, very differentthing.
But some of you may have thisquestion.
The Bible says Christ is comingsoon.
But if this is soon, whatexactly does slow look like?
Well, this would be one of theother thoughts of the scoffer.
The Lord is not slow to fulfillhis promise, as some count
(21:31):
slowness.
This is verse 9.
Don't overlook this factbeloved that with the Lord, one
day is like a thousand years, athousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slow to fulfillhis promise.
Although some are going to countwhat they see as God being slow
, what is he actually?
He's being patient to you.
Patient to who?
(21:52):
Is this?
A believer or a non-believer?
It's a believer, be honest.
Most of us read this for thenon-believer, and I'll tell you
why because of what happens next.
But it's patient toward you,not wishing that any should
perish, but that all shouldreach repentance.
Not wishing that any shouldperish, but that all should
reach repentance.
What's happening?
It seems like God is beingpatient with believers and
(22:16):
patient with people who knowenough to be believers.
But the stuff is settled somuch that there is a legitimate
question as to whether or notthey are believers.
And God is not being slow.
Scripture says no, no, no, no,no.
I'll tell you what God is being.
God is being patient and he'sbeing patient toward you Verse
10,.
But the day of the Lord willcome.
Like a thief, heavens will passaway with a roar, heavenly
bodies will be burned up anddissolved, and the earth and the
(22:37):
works that are done on it willbe exposed.
Did you notice this in verse 5and verse 8?
There are two facts pointed toin this scripture.
The scoffers deliberatelyoverlook the fact that judgment
is real, that Christ isreturning.
So Peter looks at believers andhe says do not overlook this.
(23:00):
Another way of putting it wouldbe this You're probably going
to overlook this, right.
That's why Peter writes it'slike I can look at Christians in
AD 60 and they're like sure,has been a long time.
It's like hi, welcome to 20,like 25, right, it is 2025.
Okay, that's how old I am.
I can't keep up anymore.
I'm just like well, it's notthe 90s anymore.
(23:22):
I know that this Peter says isa fact that you are going to be
prone, that your soul is goingto be prone to overlook that
you're going to let the goodthings settle.
The Lord is not slow, he ispatient.
The settled person will saythis God is slow.
What are the odds that thesedays matter?
(23:43):
How many of you can tell mewhat you did three days ago in
30 seconds or less withoutpulling out your phone?
I'm going to say less than halfof you.
You don't even know what threedays ago was.
You're doing back math rightnow and you're on Friday.
It was Thursday and now you'reworking from Thursday.
What's a normal Thursday?
When that's the way we see theworld?
There is this sort ofsystematic thing that happens in
(24:04):
us where the only day that sortof seems important is this
moment right now.
The past is the past, thefuture is the future.
This is the only thing thatmatters.
But how much does this evenmatter?
This is going to become one ofthose days Two weeks from now.
I'm not even going to thinkabout it.
You're right.
If you're settled, if you areliving a settled life, expect
this day not to matter.
Expect today not to be full ofmemories.
(24:26):
Expect to not see the goodnessof the Lord.
If you are settled in yourspirit, expect it to be a day
that just goes in the calendarfurther to the left.
But if you are stirred, do youknow that God has intended
things for you today?
Do you know that he is speaking, goodness, to you today?
If you are stirred, you will beable to hear sense move and
(24:47):
maybe it's not audible.
But you can grab the book, youcan get in it, you can choose to
have a spiritual conversationwith somebody, you can step out
of your comfort zone and stir upyour soul and make every single
day matter.
Why?
Because God's not wasting anyof them.
There's not a day on thecalendar where God goes.
Really, really shouldn't havetaken the day off on that one,
(25:08):
not one.
And if you are his person, ifyou are his people, are you not
in the same family business?
Yeah, the stirred person isgoing to say every delay, if I
can even call it a delay, isgrounded in God's goodness and
his grace, not his inability,not his reticence.
God is not wasting a moment.
(25:30):
Disturbed person is going tosay God's being patient with me,
quick timeout.
When do you become impatient?
Don't answer out loud.
What causes you to becomeimpatient.
Some of you are going to gocategorical and big sin.
And some of you are going to gomuch smaller people who wait at
yellow lights.
Okay, I don't care which wayyou go.
(25:51):
What I mean by yellow light isnot you speeding through.
I mean you can take a left onyellow and they're just like, oh
, it's kind of scary when it'syellow.
And they sit there, thosepeople, I'm sorry, if you're one
of them, you can be in an MCG.
It probably won't be mine.
But when I think of God beingpatient toward me, this is what
(26:13):
comes to mind Psalm 103.
The Lord is merciful andgracious, he is slow to anger
and he is abounding in steadfastlove.
I think there are two ways thatI get impatient with folks.
I get impatient at recurringsin Not even recurring sin that
affects me, just recurring sinthat continues to affect them
(26:36):
and they can't, they won't, theystruggle, they continue to
choose it.
My heart breaks for them, itbreaks for their family, it
breaks for their loved ones.
My heart breaks for the gospelmessage that they could be
proclaiming.
My heart breaks for what theirlife could be accomplishing, but
they are so caught up in thesin and not trusting in Christ
and not opening the doors in thecloset and inviting the spirit
(26:57):
in and inviting other people into call sin, sin and move.
That is where I see God beingslow to anger.
The fact that you're breathingis evidence that God is slow to
anger.
All right.
The fact that your eyes areoperating and blinking is God
being slow to anger.
Do you want to know why?
Because your very first sinshould have been your very last.
Your very first sin should havebeen the chapter of your life
(27:21):
opening.
You sinning and God saying notthis one, and that'd be it.
But he's slow to anger.
He has allowed you to sin andremain.
Angels struggle to understandthat.
Just so you know, I hadn't seenthat you have.
Why?
Because the Lord is mercifuland gracious.
He is slow to anger.
I think of this as sin God beingpatient in our sin.
(27:45):
Maybe God is being patient withyou because you continue to sin
the same way and you haven'tfully repented, because
repenting isn't saying I'm sorry, it's turning and going in a
different direction, and youhaven't done that.
I told you if you were anunbeliever, I was going to talk
with you in a minute.
Can I talk to you right now,the fact that God has brought
you here, the fact that you arehearing the good news of Christ,
(28:06):
the fact that he died toforgive you of your sins.
That's the whole story.
To forgive you of your sins,yeah.
But what do I need to do?
Receive it, yeah, but do I needto walk down?
Do I need to fill something out?
Do I need to stop cussing?
Do I need to quit watchingR-rated movies?
What do I need to do?
What you need to do is say God,and you don't have to come down
the aisle, you can do thatright now, while you are sitting
(28:27):
.
I think this is also God beingpatient with many of us as
Christians who keep going backto salt water and drinking it
and being surprised.
It doesn't satisfy.
But the second way I think Godis patient is with his steadfast
love.
Ten points to the camp store Ifyou can tell me the first
definition of love in 1Corinthians 13.
(28:48):
Love is Okay.
If you're new to the church andyou're like how did they know
that answer?
It's okay.
You've probably heard it in awedding probably 50% of them
that you have ever been to.
1 Corinthians 13 is called thelove chapter and it's not nearly
as good as Song of Solomon onthat point, if I may be honest
but it is a definition of whatlove is.
Love is patient, love is kind,love is good, and on and on it
(29:10):
goes.
The very first definition oflove is patience, which means
God is abounding in steadfastpatience.
If you take this concept of hissteadfast love, him being slow
to anger, it comes from a Greekword, erikopion, and slow to
(29:33):
anger means indulgent of nose.
Wouldn't have guessed that,would you?
It means check this out, dualnostriled.
Let me explain, because this isawesome.
Okay, this happened to merecently, I won't say when,
because it would allow people inthe congregation to know when I
(29:53):
was frustrated and I do notwant them to know that.
I walked into a room in thepast week and I looked at myself
in the mirror and this is whatI did I went.
You been there before.
You know exactly what I wasfeeling Overwhelmed, frustrated,
anxious, whatever it is.
Did you see what I just did?
(30:18):
When we talk about God beingslow to anger, what it's saying
is this he has been doing thefirst part of that for longer
than you can imagine.
Do you know when you feelbetter in that exercise.
The exhale, it's the.
That's when the heart ratedrops.
God is still inhaling.
(30:38):
That's what this text meanswhen it says that he is slow to
anger.
It means that God has continuedto just.
That's sinful.
Why did that?
I can't even do it, my lungsfill up.
I can't even make theillustration accurately enough.
But God is still inhaling.
Why?
Because the exhale is thereturn of Christ.
(30:59):
He's being patient with you.
I get patient with people notonly when they sin, but when
they move too slow.
I was not kidding about theyellow light.
When I walk through stores, Ilook at my wife and I look at my
children and I always ask themthis question why are you single
filing me?
We're a family, we're a family.
(31:21):
Why are y'all in a line?
I want to talk to somebody.
Do you want to know why they'resingle filing me?
Because they think I'm runningthrough the store.
That's why?
Because we can't keep up withyou.
We're just trying to figure outwhat aisle you're going to hit
next so we don't get lost andkidnapped.
Since we were three years old,that's what we're trying to do,
dad, I move very quickly.
When do I get frustrated?
(31:42):
When people move slow, whichmeans if God is being patient
with you, it might be because hefeels like you are moving too
slowly.
This is written to the believer.
It's not just are youstruggling with sin?
I think this is God saying comeon, man.
You've been saying you're gonnado that thing.
Forever You've been sayingyou're gonna take that step,
(32:05):
make that move, have thatconversation grow in thing.
Forever You've been sayingyou're going to take that step,
make that move, have thatconversation grow in.
This thing You've been sayingforever you're going to take the
step.
And God's just like are yougoing to move or are you going
to be settled?
This is what it is pointing to.
He is slow to anger and, in theevent that this catches you,
(32:27):
that God would not wish that anywould perish.
Can I just explain it to you?
I didn't tell you we had anytheological lifts.
Today.
We only have one, and this isit.
How can God not wish that anywould perish, knowing that some
are going to perish?
If you wanna understand this,you have to understand the two
wills of God the revealed willand the determinate will.
And I'm going to explain thisto you abundantly quickly.
(32:50):
In Exodus 20, god said you shallnot murder.
Is it God's will for people notto murder?
Yes or no?
Why did y'all get reticent Like?
That should be an easy one.
All right, let's try that again.
I'm concerned about the comingweek.
All right, is it God's will foryou not to murder people?
Okay, All right.
Then explain Isaiah, where itsays yet it was the will of the
(33:12):
Lord to crush Jesus, for him tobe murdered.
Explain to me how, in Acts 22,it says this Jesus delivered up
according to the definite planand the foreknowledge of God.
God didn't just think of thecross, it was his plan.
So how can God simultaneouslysay do not murder, and
(33:35):
sovereignly ordained that hisson would be murdered, because
there are two wills in God andit doesn't rip him in half?
This is the revealed will ofGod and the determinant will of
God, and you experience this inyour own life.
Though, if you want to godeeper, I would be happy to.
The day of the Lord will come,and Peter says it'll come in
(33:59):
four different ways.
It's going to come like a thief.
Things will pass away, thingswill be burned up up and things
will be dissolved.
It's going to come like a thiefwhen you least expect it,
quickly and quietly.
This is why Peter wants to stirup the Kool-Aid in the bottom
of your cup, because a thiefcomes without warning.
In fact, they're near youwithout you even realizing it.
(34:22):
Until it happens, what you knowwill pass away, everything that
you now know, even the thingsthat have settled and the things
that are stirred.
They are going to pass away andwhen they pass away, they will
be burned up and dissolved.
In other words, this world isgoing to be seen as wholly
insufficient for the one thatGod is making.
When I go to the next slide andyou see verse 13, what it's
(34:44):
going to say is the next worldis going to be filled with
simply righteousness.
That's it, goodness andrighteousness, and warmth and
wonder, not all of thebrokenness that we have brought
in, and everything will beexposed All that you have done,
all that you have said, all thatyou have thought, but
(35:04):
especially that which you havebelieved.
What you have said, all thatyou have thought, but especially
that which you have believed,what you have beheld is valuable
, what you have become as aperson, and if that terrifies
you or scares you in one sense,I'm going to say good.
In another sense, I'm going tosay but in Christ there is a way
where you walk to this day verydifferently than even those of
you who grew up in the church.
Imagine it.
(35:25):
I was praying with Sam andMelaina and we were talking
about this passage and Melainasaid it changed her perspective
when a pastor preached that theday of judgment you will walk to
Christ on a red carpet and thecarpet will be made red by the
blood of his sacrifice.
In the midst of all of thethings that will be exposed in
(35:46):
you, you will simply be standingupon.
Christ said he would forgive meand I am trusting that he will.
Christ said you would see hisgoodness and not my best
attempts at it.
Is that true?
And on this red carpet you willbe Christian ushered in.
The last thought you may bethinking is okay, I guess I'll
(36:07):
just wait and see and I wouldclose as Peter closes and I
would say if that is yourthought, just recognize it's the
final thought of the scofferand the doubt evangelist.
I will wait for the coming ofthe day of God, except that's
not what Peter calls you to.
He says says waiting for andhastening.
I am waiting for and bringingabout the coming day of God,
(36:32):
since all these things are gonnabe dissolved.
What sort of people ought youto be in lives of holiness and
godliness, waiting for andhastening the coming of the day
of God?
There is more than just waitinghere.
I want you to think about this.
There is a way to wait thatalso brings about the kingdom,
(36:54):
when we talk about the revealedwill and the determinate will of
God, god has revealed that allnations, all people, should hear
the good news of Jesus Christ,and he has determined that you
are going to be the ones to doit.
Hear the good news of JesusChrist, and he has determined
that you are going to be theones to do it.
He could, right now, speak witha trumpet in every tongue
across the entire planet.
Why not do that?
Well, he's being patient withyou.
(37:15):
He's being patient with some ofyou that are in your sin.
He's being patient with some ofyou that are being slow.
Some of you he's like I wantyou to be a part of this.
You're in the family.
Stir the Kool-Aid up, taste thegoodness of me and go about the
thing that I have put inside ofyou the settled person.
They're going to wait and see.
The settled person is going tosay since this may not happen in
(37:37):
my lifetime.
I can always just work onholiness or godliness.
Later I'll wait until I'mcloser to the time.
This, by the way, was 90% ofyouth ministry convincing an
invincible 16-year-old that hewasn't invincible so that he
would respond to the gospel,instead of getting high and
sleeping around with hisgirlfriend and drinking and
doing whatever and then becominga boring 42-year-old and being
(37:58):
like now we'll settle down andlove Jesus.
Right, that was gnarly right,like you're one of my youth kids
, aren't we, lily?
What's up?
Right?
So this is the conversation,but it is a youthful
conversation.
It's an ignorant, it's animmature conversation.
The stirred person is going tosay I could meet Jesus in a
moment.
It could be right now.
(38:20):
It could be right now becausehe returns, or it could be right
now because I could take a leftout of the parking lot.
Funny, and that be the game.
And if that is the case, sincethat is the case, I want to live
like.
I trust his promises, thesefacts which are easily
overlooked.
But even if Jesus doesn'treturn in a moment, even if I
(38:42):
don't die in a moment, I am onlybetter off for a life of
godliness and holiness.
I miss out on nothing, I gaineverything.
There is no downside toholiness and godliness.
Today, I believe I play a rolein the determinate will of God.
I believe that he has adoptedme into his family.
(39:03):
He has according to 1Corinthians 12, given me gifts.
He has called me to be a partof this.
Guys, do you realize what a bigdeal you are to God, that he is
being patient with you becausehe wants you to find the joy in
stirring the Kool-Aid andsipping from the goodness of him
daily and being about it?
(39:25):
That is why I started with thisquestion.
When you think of these wordsthe day of the Lord, the last
day and the day of judgment whatword or feeling comes to mind?
I wasn't sure what you guyswere gonna say.
Oh great, I had it logged in.
I promise time out.
Don't examine my password andif you do, just don't give it
(39:46):
out.
Thank you, apple.
Auto login.
This is what you guys said.
Hang on Present.
The bigger the word is, themore of you said it.
It's supposed to have aprofanity filter on as well,
hopefully.
All right, I can't trust someof y'all.
(40:08):
Some of y'all think you're toocute.
All right, some of y'all justaren't trusting in Jesus, but
some of you are and you justthink you're too cute.
Judgment, the end, fire, fear.
Do you know there are very fewquestions I could put in one
room and have such differentanswers.
Do you know there are very fewquestions I could put in one
(40:29):
room and have such differentanswers?
Excitement, hope, glory.
How is wrath and relief side byside?
When Peter looks at this day,he is anticipatory, he is
excited.
Now, those of you who are like,yeah, but what about the
unbeliever?
I'm with you on that.
But for those of us to whom theKool-Aid is stirred, we should
(40:49):
look at this day with greatexcitement because God is being
patient.
God is the one who is caringfor the unbeliever.
When you see by the way quickpause.
Has anybody found anythingsquirrely on there yet?
I'm just wondering.
I never know what's alwayshappening behind me.
When we look at this reality,how ought you to think about the
(41:10):
end?
Well, you're gonna think verydifferently if you're stirred
than if you're settled.
And this is what I'm pleadingwith you today as we get raised.
Stokesy, if you wanna come onup, hannah, if you wanna come on
, I'm not sure, I'm just beggingyou.
If there's nothing in the cup.
Come to Jesus today.
If you're like man, I don'thave anything to even stir.
(41:34):
The good news of Christ is hehas been patient with you to
bring you to this point.
And if you have stuff that's inthe cup and it is dropped to
the bottom, stir it up.
Pray that the spirit of Godwould stir you, because there
should be an excitement forChrist returning.
For those of us who are notexcited, there's probably a
(41:54):
reason, and it's probably eitherGod being patient with your sin
or him being patient with yourslowness.
There is a way to navigate lifewith that excitement, but you
are going to have to do whatPeter has called you to do and
be stirred up.
I give you a few questions toponder.
As Stokes plays in thebackground, maybe for a moment,
(42:15):
if you would Stokes to give us amoment to reflect, and then
we'll stand and we'll worship aGod who deserves every bit of it
.
If you wanna talk, we'll have acouple of folks down.
If you wanna to talk, we'llhave a couple of folks down.
If you want to talk tocelebrate good things in your
life, if you need prayer foranything in your life, man, we
would love to be able to prayfor you.
When Stokes tells everybody tostand up.
It's not a command, it's notdeclarative.
If you need to kneel, if youneed to pray, if you need to
(42:37):
stay seated, if you want to gowalk out in the back, you do
whatever it takes for you topursue the Lord.
Where's our scripture this morning that we're going
to be reading from?
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Please turn to your Bibles, to 2 Peter, 3, 8 through
13, which is on page 1019 inyour pew Bibles, and follow
along as I read God's word.
(00:32):
But do not overlook this onefact beloved that with the day
with the lord, one day is as athousand years and a thousand
years is one day.
The lord is not slow to fulfillhis promises some count
slowness but is patient towardsyou, not wishing that any should
perish, but that all shouldreach repentance.
But the day of the Lord willcome like a thief, and then the
heavens will pass away with aroar and the heavenly bodies
(00:52):
will be burned up and dissolvedand the earth and the works that
are done in it will be exposed.
Since all these things are thusto be dissolved, what sort of
people ought you to be in livesof the holiness and godliness,
waiting for and hastening thecoming of the day of God,
because of which the heavenswill be set on fire and
(01:13):
dissolved and the heavenlybodies will melt as they burn?
But, according to his promises,we are waiting for new heavens
and a new earth in whichrighteousness dwells.
This is the word of the Lord.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Amen, amen.
Hey, out of curiosity, just byshow of hands, by the way,
you're going to want to be inone of the first two options,
just so you know.
When you read your Bible, I'mwondering how many of you are
paper Bibles and how many of youare digital Bibles.
Third would be none.
You're still welcome here.
If you're not reading yourBible, I'm really glad you're
(01:50):
here.
I guess there could be a fourthcategory, which is I do both,
but if you're both, like whichone is your typical?
By show of hands, how manypeople are typical paper Bibles?
Go, wow, that's amazing.
That sort of surprised me alittle bit.
I love it, I love it.
All right.
How many people are digitalBible readers?
Okay, why were y'all morereticent?
Did y'all see that Paper Biblesare like yep, I'm sanctified,
what's going on?
I know how to flip to it.
(02:12):
Digital folks are like yep,it's right here, I'm in it, I'm
in it.
Okay, good stuff.
I've become more.
Oh, all of that is a transition.
Pull your phones out for just amoment, if you would.
I've become more digitalbecause I do a lot of my sermon
writing and stuff on an iPad now, and so I've just naturally
begun reading there more.
Here's what I'd like you to do,if you do not mind.
(02:33):
Certainly you don't have toplay along.
Do you guys have me back there?
It is QR code if you don't knowhow those work.
You're 50 or older and justfind a young person around you.
They'll help you out with that.
But if you guys would go ahead,get this QR code, take a couple
of minutes.
I'd like for you to answer thequestion.
(02:53):
When you think of these wordsthat Pat just read to us, the
day of the Lord, the last day,the day of judgment, what word
or what feeling comes to mind?
Just take a second over thenext minute or two and throw
those in.
I'm looking for phones up.
We still got a couple, allright, so we have been working
through 2 Peter.
We have two more weeks in it,including this week, and then we
(03:15):
may take a little standalonebefore, in the fall, we hop into
the book of Joshua.
I have been missing some OldTestament and Song of Solomon
was not quite enough, and sowe're going to be hopping into
Joshua in the fall.
Where we are right now is 2Peter uncommon conviction,
steadfast truth in shiftingtimes.
(03:36):
Peter is in prison.
He knows that he is on thelatter end of his life.
He is writing a letter to allof the Christians in his area
life.
He is writing a letter to allof the Christians in his area,
which the Holy Spirit held ontoand preserved for us 2,000 years
later.
Same truth in the middle ofshifting times, and there are a
number of convictions that Peterwants us to have.
(03:56):
And here is where we start.
This morning, peter says now,look, I've already written to
you once.
This is now the second letterthat I'm writing to you, beloved
.
One thing to note whenever yousee little keywords like this in
Scripture, take note what thisis telling us on the forefront
is is Peter, generally speaking,writing to Christians or
(04:20):
non-Christians at this moment inhis letter?
One, two, three go, yeah, okay,thank you, shane, loud and
proud.
So this two, three go, yeah,okay, thank you, shane, loud and
proud.
So this it that matters.
Does that mean Peter doesn'tcare about unbelievers?
No, of course not, but he isgiving specific direction to
those of us who have faith inChrist.
That's very important for youto know, because a lot of the
things that we're gonna look atPeter pointing to this morning
(04:42):
we would assume in sort of ourChristianese conversations.
He's talking to unbelievers,but I want you to realize Peter
is saying to the believer I amstirring you up, I'm stirring up
your sincere mind by way ofreminder, and this is important,
(05:03):
because we just spent two weekstalking about how knowledge is
insufficient.
We need faith more than we needknowledge.
Peter says now let me talkabout your mind, now let me talk
about your knowledge, let metalk about what you know of the
Lord, that you should rememberthe predictions of the holy
prophets and the commandments ofthe Lord and Savior through
your apostles.
He's saying I want you toremember the Old Testament, I
(05:24):
want you to remember the life ofChrist, I want you to remember
all of the things that God hasgiven us in his word, knowing
this first of all, that scofferswill come in the last days with
scoffing following their ownsinful desires.
There's a very deep theologicalcontext to this.
But when it says last days,many theologians interpret that
(05:48):
to mean the days between theresurrection of Christ and the
return of Christ, that, however,many years are packed into that
.
When you take a step back andyou see all that God has done in
creation, you and I are livingin the last days, this last era
of redemptive history, beforethe moment when a trumpet sounds
(06:10):
.
We just sang about it and herecomes Jesus and everything
changes forever.
Now I want you to notice thisbecause I have been convicted of
this and simultaneouslyencouraged.
I don't know about you, but, asChristian conviction and
encouragement don't always sitside by side, for me, if I'm
convicted I'm usually irritatedat myself, frustrated,
(06:31):
discouraged, depressed, angry,but in this case I have.
Will has personally beenconvicted and encouraged, and
it's this idea of I am stirringup your sincere mind.
I don't know what the sounds ofsummer are for you, but I will
(06:52):
give you one of mine from achildhood and you tell me if you
relate to this or not A plasticpitcher filled with water and a
wooden spoon always wooden,never plastic and the sound of
that wooden spoon bangingagainst the plastic, while what
was poured into the bottom?
Three, two, one, yes.
(07:14):
I don't know if that's like yougrew up rich or you grew up
poor, I don't know, but I grewup with Kool-Aid.
Some of you were like there'sno protein in that.
No, I grew up with Kool-Aid.
Some of you were like there'sno protein in that, no, no.
What are the healthy things youput in water, now Electrolytes.
I don't know.
I grew up with Kool-Aid, cupsof sugar and Kool-Aid, 90% of
(07:35):
the time red.
I don't know why, but that'sjust how it worked.
And the sound of that woodenspoon if it was a glass pitcher,
it was sweet tea the sound ofthat wooden spoon hitting the
sides of the plastic.
That is what makes me think ofsummer.
But if mom decided that a kidwas going to help stir the
(07:57):
Kool-Aid, there was a problem onthe first pour.
The problem was that thoselittle baby arms that were
stirring didn't do a good enoughjob.
And if you got the first pourof Kool-Aid, compared to the
lovely last pour of Kool-Aid, itwas a very different experience
.
Y'all know what I'm talkingabout.
If you don't, it's the samething if you've ever taken a
(08:19):
pre-workout at the gym andyou're 20 minutes in and you hit
the bottom and you just want torip your tongue out of your
mouth and throw it off to theside.
You've gotten a coffee beforeat Starbucks.
You were supposed to stir thething and you didn't and you get
to the bottom and it dries youout completely because you let
all that stuff drop to thebottom.
What is it that Peter iswanting you to do?
Here is what he's wanting tosay.
(08:39):
If you miss this, you're goingto miss it also.
Don't miss this.
Both cups have something inthem.
Is Peter writing primarily toChristians or non-Christians?
One, two, three Right.
That's why I circled beloved.
The question is not Christianin the room?
If you're not a Christian inthe room, I'm going to talk to
you in just a moment.
Christian in the room?
The question is not.
Do you have some knowledge ofthis?
(09:01):
The question is is it sittingin the bottom of the cup to
where what you're sipping ontoday you can't even taste it
anymore?
Or are you being stirred up tothe point that all of the
knowledge, that the spirit ofGod, that the word of God, that
the people of God that thepreachers of God have been
dumping into your plasticpitcher is stirred up?
(09:22):
Can you taste that sermon thatled you to Christ?
Can you taste that song Be Thoumy Vision from 15 years ago?
Or have you settled and whenyou go to the Lord it tastes
like water, with just a hint ofanything valuable, delightful,
(09:43):
enjoyable.
Peter is saying of anythingvaluable, delightful, enjoyable.
Peter is saying I am not.
I'm hopeful.
Peter's saying I wanna give youa word that stirs you up.
You may be here and, if you'rehonest, you would say well, I
remember being excited about theLord.
I remember being excited aboutwalking with him.
I remember being excited aboutsinging in worship and now I
(10:04):
don't make the first song, ifI'm honest.
I remember being excited tocrack my Bible open to talk to
people, to pray for others.
But Will?
What happened to that thing?
What if it didn't have to bethat way?
What if there was a way for youto, every time you sip, have
something that has not fallen tothe bottom?
(10:26):
I think this is what Peterwants for us, but there's a
warning he gives us on the frontend that scoffers will come in
the last days.
Why talk about scoffers in themidst of stirred or unstirred
souls?
You can look up whateverdefinition you want for a
scoffer.
I'll give you my definition ofit One who doubts out loud to
(10:49):
spread and justify their owndoubts.
That's what I would call ascoffer.
All of us have doubts in life.
All of us even have doubts ofscripture, of the Lord,
somewhere in us.
We are not fully formed andfully developed.
All of us have doubts.
But a scoffer is somebody whodoubts.
They doubt out loud.
They doubt to justify their ownposition, like, hey, we all
(11:09):
kind of struggle with this,right, like I'm okay, and they
would become what I would call adoubt evangelist.
Not a faith evangelist, but adoubt evangelist.
If I can cause you to doubt,then I can feel better about my
own doubts and I'm moreconcerned about how I feel than
what you feel.
There are going to be scofferswho come in in the last days and
when Peter is pointing to this,it is nefarious.
(11:31):
Some of us scoff just becausewe have bad attitudes, we
haven't had a quiet time, we areinsecure in our own faith, but
some people scoff simply becausethey do want to lead people
astray.
It might look something likethis thought Now let me be
honest with you.
I'm going to show you threethoughts today.
(11:52):
I have thought every one ofthem, so don't feel like.
Well, I am beyond the salvationof the Lord.
If you have ever felt the sunrose yesterday, it rose today.
It'll rise tomorrow too.
Judgment Doubt it.
I mean.
What are the odds Will?
We were here a week ago.
We're probably going to be herein a week.
Should I really navigate lifelike this?
(12:13):
Do I need to be stirred up thatmuch?
What are the odds of judgment?
But if you have thought that, Ijust want you to understand that
is one of the thoughts of thescoffers, or the doubt
evangelists that Peter istalking about.
This is what we see in versefour.
They, the scoffers, will saywhere's the promise of his
coming?
And they go way back on this,by the way, for ever since the
(12:34):
fathers fell asleep.
They're in Peter's day andthey're not talking about hey,
where's the promise of Jesus iscoming.
It's been 30, 40 years.
How much longer is it gonna be?
They're talking about Abraham.
They're talking about Isaac.
They're talking about Moses.
They're talking about Elijah,isaiah.
These guys have been talkingfor thousands of years, will?
(12:55):
All things are continuing asthey were from the beginning of
creation.
I'm not gonna ask anybody torespond or to raise a hand on
this one.
Have you ever had that thought?
I'm not going to ask anybody torespond or to raise a hand on
this one.
Have you ever had that thought?
Do you realize that Scripturecondemns that thought?
Do you realize that Scripturewould look at that thought and
it would say you've gotknowledge.
It's just dropped to the bottomof the pitcher.
(13:17):
It's no longer an activeknowledge in you.
You've tucked it away.
Given yourself a little bit ofcredit.
Hey, I've done what I've neededto do Water, sugar, that
beautiful Kool-Aid packet right,save one to dye your hair at
camp in three weeks.
I've put in the picture what Ineed to put in the picture and
Peter's saying, yeah, but you'restill stirring the thing up, or
are you just sipping off of thetop?
(13:39):
This is what they would say.
All things are continuing asthey were from the beginning,
continuing in verse five, god'sword would say they being the
scoffers, they deliberatelyoverlook this fact that the
heavens existed long ago and theearth was formed out of water
and through water, by the wordof God.
(14:01):
I'm underlining water and theword, because I want you to
notice a connection that Peter'sabout to make and that, by
means of these, by the means ofwater and by the means of the
word, this same world that wascreated using those two things
verse six by means of these theworld that then existed was
(14:22):
deluged with water and perish.
What is Peter saying?
The same stuff that createdthis world is the stuff that God
used to destroy it.
What old Bible story is hetalking about here.
It's the second time Peter'sbrought it up Noah.
He's talking about Noah.
He's saying what do you mean?
You're doubting judgment.
Can I remind you of Noah?
Can I remind you of Sodom andGomorrah?
(14:43):
Might I be able to remind youof Jonah?
Had the Ninevites not repented?
And he says look, here's thedeal, verse seven, but by the
same word.
The same word the heavens andthe earth that now exist are
stored up.
What was the promise that therainbow pointed to?
Never again will I flood theearth.
(15:04):
Which means, if this world isgonna go the earth, which means,
if this world is going to gothrough a second judgment, if
this world is going to gothrough a second renewal, a
second overthrow, is it going tobe by water?
No, but what is it going to be?
By the word of God.
And this is what Peter's saying.
The word of God brought allthings into creation.
In the past, he used water tocreate it and to uncreate it.
(15:25):
In the future, it is stored upfor fire, being kept until the
day of judgment and thedestruction of the ungodly.
They are, according to Peter'sword.
They are deliberatelyoverlooking a fact, deliberately
(15:48):
overlooking a fact this worldwas made and unmade.
It was remade and it will beunmade again.
I think Peter might put it thisway If you are sure that this
world exists, pause.
There's some people who doubtthis.
Okay, now that we have allkinds of like AI and simulation
runnings I have conversationswith people on the weekly what
are the odds?
This is real.
What are the odds?
(16:08):
We're not in a simulation andthey didn't realize.
This is what the matrix hasbeen trying to tell us since the
90s.
Okay, just so you know.
They figured it out in thematrix.
By the way, it's philosophythat goes all the way back to
Plato, but nonetheless, youhadn't figured something out,
right?
If you feel like, don't blogabout it.
You're not as impressive as youthink.
It's kind of what I'm tellingyou.
Humanity's been wondering thisfor a long time.
But if you think that thisworld exists, be just as sure
(16:33):
that it will end.
As sure as I am that this ishere.
I am sure that it will not beas sure as I am that this is
here.
I am sure that it will not be,because God's word has
guaranteed both it's guaranteedcreation and it has guaranteed
the fall.
From that.
Peter is writing that Godpreserved this thought, this
(16:59):
fact for you today.
Why?
That your mind would be stirredup, that your mind would be
stirred up so that you should dosomething.
You see, when we look at thisconcept, the settled person is
going to say this nothing's beendifferent for ages.
(17:19):
If I'm honest, I'm notexpecting anything.
I'm the person who has settled.
Remember, they've got stuff inthe bottom of the cup.
This isn't somebody who's not abeliever.
They are going to say what arethe odds Jesus returns before I
die?
Again, no show of hands.
But I'm betting a few of ushave been there.
Some of you may be activelyoperating off of that.
(17:40):
Do you realize?
That's what God's word wouldcall settled thought?
But a stirred person would saythis according to scripture is a
fact.
They deliberately overlook thisfact that judgment is real,
that the Bible is so clear onthis, that the day of the Lord
is absolutely coming, thatthings have definitely changed
(18:03):
before and they will definitelychange again.
The concept that I mean to giveyou the two, the settled thought
, is everything's the same asit's always been.
But anybody who would actuallywrestle with the facts would say
that can't be true.
There was a day when the worldexisted and then a flood came.
There was a day when the worldexisted and God has done this,
and God has done that, and Godhas done that.
(18:24):
Do you know what you are livingin right now?
One of the reasons I pointedout, scott, and the fact that
Logan is in the midst of Bibletranslation.
Do you know that?
Where you are, in human historyright now massive revival in
Africa, asia and South America.
Massive revival.
Africa went from 9% Christianabout a hundred years ago to 50%
(18:50):
Christian in about the past 100years.
Now just think about how longhumanity has existed.
And in about 100 years, lessthan 10% to 50%.
We are living in a differenttime.
Nearly the whole world has theBible or is going to have it
(19:10):
soon.
Anybody want to guess whatpercentage of languages we have
some of the Bible translatedinto?
Not the whole thing.
Anybody want to give me anumber One, two, three, 99.5.
Okay, don't get too encouraged.
99,.
Okay, don't get too encouraged.
We still need missionaries.
Hold tight.
99.5% of languages on theplanet have asterisk.
(19:35):
Number one some of the BibleCould be the book of Matthew.
That's still huge progress.
They have it in their language.
That doesn't mean they have itin their hands.
Okay, the expectation is thatall of the known languages on
the planet, by the early 2030s,will have some of the word of
God in their own language.
(19:56):
Can I just tell you that is avery different time than humans
have ever been in before.
We still need people to take itto them.
How many of you guys have theYouVersion Bible app?
Y'all know what I'm talking.
Yeah, you said not digital.
No, I know You're fine.
You're fine, I'm just messingwith you.
It's been installed 800 milliontimes in every country in the
(20:17):
world, and that's just one app.
And, interestingly, here at homein the United States, do you
know what's happening?
For the first time in decades,young men are showing up to
church.
I don't know if you know thisor not.
Church when I grew up was a lotof ladies.
It was a lot of women running alot of stuff, and we love that.
(20:42):
But boy, do we love seeingyoung men show up to church
asking questions like how can Ilive a godly life?
How can I say no to sexual sin,pornography and addiction?
How can I get my life on theright track so that I can lead
and love a woman and raisechildren that are on the right
path and will not walk away.
Do you realize?
We haven't had that happen inmy lifetime.
Young men are showing up tochurch more than young women are
showing up to church.
We are not living in the sametime.
(21:04):
This is a very, very differentthing.
But some of you may have thisquestion.
The Bible says Christ is comingsoon.
But if this is soon, whatexactly does slow look like?
Well, this would be one of theother thoughts of the scoffer.
The Lord is not slow to fulfillhis promise, as some count
(21:31):
slowness.
This is verse 9.
Don't overlook this factbeloved that with the Lord, one
day is like a thousand years, athousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slow to fulfillhis promise.
Although some are going to countwhat they see as God being slow
, what is he actually?
He's being patient to you.
Patient to who?
(21:52):
Is this?
A believer or a non-believer?
It's a believer, be honest.
Most of us read this for thenon-believer, and I'll tell you
why because of what happens next.
But it's patient toward you,not wishing that any should
perish, but that all shouldreach repentance.
Not wishing that any shouldperish, but that all should
reach repentance.
What's happening?
It seems like God is beingpatient with believers and
(22:16):
patient with people who knowenough to be believers.
But the stuff is settled somuch that there is a legitimate
question as to whether or notthey are believers.
And God is not being slow.
Scripture says no, no, no, no,no.
I'll tell you what God is being.
God is being patient and he'sbeing patient toward you Verse
10,.
But the day of the Lord willcome.
Like a thief, heavens will passaway with a roar, heavenly
bodies will be burned up anddissolved, and the earth and the
(22:37):
works that are done on it willbe exposed.
Did you notice this in verse 5and verse 8?
There are two facts pointed toin this scripture.
The scoffers deliberatelyoverlook the fact that judgment
is real, that Christ isreturning.
So Peter looks at believers andhe says do not overlook this.
(23:00):
Another way of putting it wouldbe this You're probably going
to overlook this, right.
That's why Peter writes it'slike I can look at Christians in
AD 60 and they're like sure,has been a long time.
It's like hi, welcome to 20,like 25, right, it is 2025.
Okay, that's how old I am.
I can't keep up anymore.
I'm just like well, it's notthe 90s anymore.
(23:22):
I know that this Peter says isa fact that you are going to be
prone, that your soul is goingto be prone to overlook that
you're going to let the goodthings settle.
The Lord is not slow, he ispatient.
The settled person will saythis God is slow.
What are the odds that thesedays matter?
(23:43):
How many of you can tell mewhat you did three days ago in
30 seconds or less withoutpulling out your phone?
I'm going to say less than halfof you.
You don't even know what threedays ago was.
You're doing back math rightnow and you're on Friday.
It was Thursday and now you'reworking from Thursday.
What's a normal Thursday?
When that's the way we see theworld?
There is this sort ofsystematic thing that happens in
(24:04):
us where the only day that sortof seems important is this
moment right now.
The past is the past, thefuture is the future.
This is the only thing thatmatters.
But how much does this evenmatter?
This is going to become one ofthose days Two weeks from now.
I'm not even going to thinkabout it.
You're right.
If you're settled, if you areliving a settled life, expect
this day not to matter.
Expect today not to be full ofmemories.
(24:26):
Expect to not see the goodnessof the Lord.
If you are settled in yourspirit, expect it to be a day
that just goes in the calendarfurther to the left.
But if you are stirred, do youknow that God has intended
things for you today?
Do you know that he is speaking, goodness, to you today?
If you are stirred, you will beable to hear sense move and
(24:47):
maybe it's not audible.
But you can grab the book, youcan get in it, you can choose to
have a spiritual conversationwith somebody, you can step out
of your comfort zone and stir upyour soul and make every single
day matter.
Why?
Because God's not wasting anyof them.
There's not a day on thecalendar where God goes.
Really, really shouldn't havetaken the day off on that one,
(25:08):
not one.
And if you are his person, ifyou are his people, are you not
in the same family business?
Yeah, the stirred person isgoing to say every delay, if I
can even call it a delay, isgrounded in God's goodness and
his grace, not his inability,not his reticence.
God is not wasting a moment.
(25:30):
Disturbed person is going tosay God's being patient with me,
quick timeout.
When do you become impatient?
Don't answer out loud.
What causes you to becomeimpatient.
Some of you are going to gocategorical and big sin.
And some of you are going to gomuch smaller people who wait at
yellow lights.
Okay, I don't care which wayyou go.
(25:51):
What I mean by yellow light isnot you speeding through.
I mean you can take a left onyellow and they're just like, oh
, it's kind of scary when it'syellow.
And they sit there, thosepeople, I'm sorry, if you're one
of them, you can be in an MCG.
It probably won't be mine.
But when I think of God beingpatient toward me, this is what
(26:13):
comes to mind Psalm 103.
The Lord is merciful andgracious, he is slow to anger
and he is abounding in steadfastlove.
I think there are two ways thatI get impatient with folks.
I get impatient at recurringsin Not even recurring sin that
affects me, just recurring sinthat continues to affect them
(26:36):
and they can't, they won't, theystruggle, they continue to
choose it.
My heart breaks for them, itbreaks for their family, it
breaks for their loved ones.
My heart breaks for the gospelmessage that they could be
proclaiming.
My heart breaks for what theirlife could be accomplishing, but
they are so caught up in thesin and not trusting in Christ
and not opening the doors in thecloset and inviting the spirit
(26:57):
in and inviting other people into call sin, sin and move.
That is where I see God beingslow to anger.
The fact that you're breathingis evidence that God is slow to
anger.
All right.
The fact that your eyes areoperating and blinking is God
being slow to anger.
Do you want to know why?
Because your very first sinshould have been your very last.
Your very first sin should havebeen the chapter of your life
(27:21):
opening.
You sinning and God saying notthis one, and that'd be it.
But he's slow to anger.
He has allowed you to sin andremain.
Angels struggle to understandthat.
Just so you know, I hadn't seenthat you have.
Why?
Because the Lord is mercifuland gracious.
He is slow to anger.
I think of this as sin God beingpatient in our sin.
(27:45):
Maybe God is being patient withyou because you continue to sin
the same way and you haven'tfully repented, because
repenting isn't saying I'm sorry, it's turning and going in a
different direction, and youhaven't done that.
I told you if you were anunbeliever, I was going to talk
with you in a minute.
Can I talk to you right now,the fact that God has brought
you here, the fact that you arehearing the good news of Christ,
(28:06):
the fact that he died toforgive you of your sins.
That's the whole story.
To forgive you of your sins,yeah.
But what do I need to do?
Receive it, yeah, but do I needto walk down?
Do I need to fill something out?
Do I need to stop cussing?
Do I need to quit watchingR-rated movies?
What do I need to do?
What you need to do is say God,and you don't have to come down
the aisle, you can do thatright now, while you are sitting
(28:27):
.
I think this is also God beingpatient with many of us as
Christians who keep going backto salt water and drinking it
and being surprised.
It doesn't satisfy.
But the second way I think Godis patient is with his steadfast
love.
Ten points to the camp store Ifyou can tell me the first
definition of love in 1Corinthians 13.
(28:48):
Love is Okay.
If you're new to the church andyou're like how did they know
that answer?
It's okay.
You've probably heard it in awedding probably 50% of them
that you have ever been to.
1 Corinthians 13 is called thelove chapter and it's not nearly
as good as Song of Solomon onthat point, if I may be honest
but it is a definition of whatlove is.
Love is patient, love is kind,love is good, and on and on it
(29:10):
goes.
The very first definition oflove is patience, which means
God is abounding in steadfastpatience.
If you take this concept of hissteadfast love, him being slow
to anger, it comes from a Greekword, erikopion, and slow to
(29:33):
anger means indulgent of nose.
Wouldn't have guessed that,would you?
It means check this out, dualnostriled.
Let me explain, because this isawesome.
Okay, this happened to merecently, I won't say when,
because it would allow people inthe congregation to know when I
(29:53):
was frustrated and I do notwant them to know that.
I walked into a room in thepast week and I looked at myself
in the mirror and this is whatI did I went.
You been there before.
You know exactly what I wasfeeling Overwhelmed, frustrated,
anxious, whatever it is.
Did you see what I just did?
(30:18):
When we talk about God beingslow to anger, what it's saying
is this he has been doing thefirst part of that for longer
than you can imagine.
Do you know when you feelbetter in that exercise.
The exhale, it's the.
That's when the heart ratedrops.
God is still inhaling.
(30:38):
That's what this text meanswhen it says that he is slow to
anger.
It means that God has continuedto just.
That's sinful.
Why did that?
I can't even do it, my lungsfill up.
I can't even make theillustration accurately enough.
But God is still inhaling.
Why?
Because the exhale is thereturn of Christ.
(30:59):
He's being patient with you.
I get patient with people notonly when they sin, but when
they move too slow.
I was not kidding about theyellow light.
When I walk through stores, Ilook at my wife and I look at my
children and I always ask themthis question why are you single
filing me?
We're a family, we're a family.
(31:21):
Why are y'all in a line?
I want to talk to somebody.
Do you want to know why they'resingle filing me?
Because they think I'm runningthrough the store.
That's why?
Because we can't keep up withyou.
We're just trying to figure outwhat aisle you're going to hit
next so we don't get lost andkidnapped.
Since we were three years old,that's what we're trying to do,
dad, I move very quickly.
When do I get frustrated?
(31:42):
When people move slow, whichmeans if God is being patient
with you, it might be because hefeels like you are moving too
slowly.
This is written to the believer.
It's not just are youstruggling with sin?
I think this is God saying comeon, man.
You've been saying you're gonnado that thing.
Forever You've been sayingyou're gonna take that step,
(32:05):
make that move, have thatconversation grow in thing.
Forever You've been sayingyou're going to take that step,
make that move, have thatconversation grow in.
This thing You've been sayingforever you're going to take the
step.
And God's just like are yougoing to move or are you going
to be settled?
This is what it is pointing to.
He is slow to anger and, in theevent that this catches you,
(32:27):
that God would not wish that anywould perish.
Can I just explain it to you?
I didn't tell you we had anytheological lifts.
Today.
We only have one, and this isit.
How can God not wish that anywould perish, knowing that some
are going to perish?
If you wanna understand this,you have to understand the two
wills of God the revealed willand the determinate will.
And I'm going to explain thisto you abundantly quickly.
(32:50):
In Exodus 20, god said you shallnot murder.
Is it God's will for people notto murder?
Yes or no?
Why did y'all get reticent Like?
That should be an easy one.
All right, let's try that again.
I'm concerned about the comingweek.
All right, is it God's will foryou not to murder people?
Okay, All right.
Then explain Isaiah, where itsays yet it was the will of the
(33:12):
Lord to crush Jesus, for him tobe murdered.
Explain to me how, in Acts 22,it says this Jesus delivered up
according to the definite planand the foreknowledge of God.
God didn't just think of thecross, it was his plan.
So how can God simultaneouslysay do not murder, and
(33:35):
sovereignly ordained that hisson would be murdered, because
there are two wills in God andit doesn't rip him in half?
This is the revealed will ofGod and the determinant will of
God, and you experience this inyour own life.
Though, if you want to godeeper, I would be happy to.
The day of the Lord will come,and Peter says it'll come in
(33:59):
four different ways.
It's going to come like a thief.
Things will pass away, thingswill be burned up up and things
will be dissolved.
It's going to come like a thiefwhen you least expect it,
quickly and quietly.
This is why Peter wants to stirup the Kool-Aid in the bottom
of your cup, because a thiefcomes without warning.
In fact, they're near youwithout you even realizing it.
(34:22):
Until it happens, what you knowwill pass away, everything that
you now know, even the thingsthat have settled and the things
that are stirred.
They are going to pass away andwhen they pass away, they will
be burned up and dissolved.
In other words, this world isgoing to be seen as wholly
insufficient for the one thatGod is making.
When I go to the next slide andyou see verse 13, what it's
(34:44):
going to say is the next worldis going to be filled with
simply righteousness.
That's it, goodness andrighteousness, and warmth and
wonder, not all of thebrokenness that we have brought
in, and everything will beexposed All that you have done,
all that you have said, all thatyou have thought, but
(35:04):
especially that which you havebelieved.
What you have said, all thatyou have thought, but especially
that which you have believed,what you have beheld is valuable
, what you have become as aperson, and if that terrifies
you or scares you in one sense,I'm going to say good.
In another sense, I'm going tosay but in Christ there is a way
where you walk to this day verydifferently than even those of
you who grew up in the church.
Imagine it.
(35:25):
I was praying with Sam andMelaina and we were talking
about this passage and Melainasaid it changed her perspective
when a pastor preached that theday of judgment you will walk to
Christ on a red carpet and thecarpet will be made red by the
blood of his sacrifice.
In the midst of all of thethings that will be exposed in
(35:46):
you, you will simply be standingupon.
Christ said he would forgive meand I am trusting that he will.
Christ said you would see hisgoodness and not my best
attempts at it.
Is that true?
And on this red carpet you willbe Christian ushered in.
The last thought you may bethinking is okay, I guess I'll
(36:07):
just wait and see and I wouldclose as Peter closes and I
would say if that is yourthought, just recognize it's the
final thought of the scofferand the doubt evangelist.
I will wait for the coming ofthe day of God, except that's
not what Peter calls you to.
He says says waiting for andhastening.
I am waiting for and bringingabout the coming day of God,
(36:32):
since all these things are gonnabe dissolved.
What sort of people ought youto be in lives of holiness and
godliness, waiting for andhastening the coming of the day
of God?
There is more than just waitinghere.
I want you to think about this.
There is a way to wait thatalso brings about the kingdom,
(36:54):
when we talk about the revealedwill and the determinate will of
God, god has revealed that allnations, all people, should hear
the good news of Jesus Christ,and he has determined that you
are going to be the ones to doit.
Hear the good news of JesusChrist, and he has determined
that you are going to be theones to do it.
He could, right now, speak witha trumpet in every tongue
across the entire planet.
Why not do that?
Well, he's being patient withyou.
(37:15):
He's being patient with some ofyou that are in your sin.
He's being patient with some ofyou that are being slow.
Some of you he's like I wantyou to be a part of this.
You're in the family.
Stir the Kool-Aid up, taste thegoodness of me and go about the
thing that I have put inside ofyou the settled person.
They're going to wait and see.
The settled person is going tosay since this may not happen in
(37:37):
my lifetime.
I can always just work onholiness or godliness.
Later I'll wait until I'mcloser to the time.
This, by the way, was 90% ofyouth ministry convincing an
invincible 16-year-old that hewasn't invincible so that he
would respond to the gospel,instead of getting high and
sleeping around with hisgirlfriend and drinking and
doing whatever and then becominga boring 42-year-old and being
(37:58):
like now we'll settle down andlove Jesus.
Right, that was gnarly right,like you're one of my youth kids
, aren't we, lily?
What's up?
Right?
So this is the conversation,but it is a youthful
conversation.
It's an ignorant, it's animmature conversation.
The stirred person is going tosay I could meet Jesus in a
moment.
It could be right now.
(38:20):
It could be right now becausehe returns, or it could be right
now because I could take a leftout of the parking lot.
Funny, and that be the game.
And if that is the case, sincethat is the case, I want to live
like.
I trust his promises, thesefacts which are easily
overlooked.
But even if Jesus doesn'treturn in a moment, even if I
(38:42):
don't die in a moment, I am onlybetter off for a life of
godliness and holiness.
I miss out on nothing, I gaineverything.
There is no downside toholiness and godliness.
Today, I believe I play a rolein the determinate will of God.
I believe that he has adoptedme into his family.
(39:03):
He has according to 1Corinthians 12, given me gifts.
He has called me to be a partof this.
Guys, do you realize what a bigdeal you are to God, that he is
being patient with you becausehe wants you to find the joy in
stirring the Kool-Aid andsipping from the goodness of him
daily and being about it?
(39:25):
That is why I started with thisquestion.
When you think of these wordsthe day of the Lord, the last
day and the day of judgment whatword or feeling comes to mind?
I wasn't sure what you guyswere gonna say.
Oh great, I had it logged in.
I promise time out.
Don't examine my password andif you do, just don't give it
(39:46):
out.
Thank you, apple.
Auto login.
This is what you guys said.
Hang on Present.
The bigger the word is, themore of you said it.
It's supposed to have aprofanity filter on as well,
hopefully.
All right, I can't trust someof y'all.
(40:08):
Some of y'all think you're toocute.
All right, some of y'all justaren't trusting in Jesus, but
some of you are and you justthink you're too cute.
Judgment, the end, fire, fear.
Do you know there are very fewquestions I could put in one
room and have such differentanswers.
Do you know there are very fewquestions I could put in one
(40:29):
room and have such differentanswers?
Excitement, hope, glory.
How is wrath and relief side byside?
When Peter looks at this day,he is anticipatory, he is
excited.
Now, those of you who are like,yeah, but what about the
unbeliever?
I'm with you on that.
But for those of us to whom theKool-Aid is stirred, we should
(40:49):
look at this day with greatexcitement because God is being
patient.
God is the one who is caringfor the unbeliever.
When you see by the way quickpause.
Has anybody found anythingsquirrely on there yet?
I'm just wondering.
I never know what's alwayshappening behind me.
When we look at this reality,how ought you to think about the
(41:10):
end?
Well, you're gonna think verydifferently if you're stirred
than if you're settled.
And this is what I'm pleadingwith you today as we get raised.
Stokesy, if you wanna come onup, hannah, if you wanna come on
, I'm not sure, I'm just beggingyou.
If there's nothing in the cup.
Come to Jesus today.
If you're like man, I don'thave anything to even stir.
(41:34):
The good news of Christ is hehas been patient with you to
bring you to this point.
And if you have stuff that's inthe cup and it is dropped to
the bottom, stir it up.
Pray that the spirit of Godwould stir you, because there
should be an excitement forChrist returning.
For those of us who are notexcited, there's probably a
(41:54):
reason, and it's probably eitherGod being patient with your sin
or him being patient with yourslowness.
There is a way to navigate lifewith that excitement, but you
are going to have to do whatPeter has called you to do and
be stirred up.
I give you a few questions toponder.
As Stokes plays in thebackground, maybe for a moment,
(42:15):
if you would Stokes to give us amoment to reflect, and then
we'll stand and we'll worship aGod who deserves every bit of it
.
If you wanna talk, we'll have acouple of folks down.
If you wanna to talk, we'llhave a couple of folks down.
If you want to talk tocelebrate good things in your
life, if you need prayer foranything in your life, man, we
would love to be able to prayfor you.
When Stokes tells everybody tostand up.
It's not a command, it's notdeclarative.
If you need to kneel, if youneed to pray, if you need to
(42:37):
stay seated, if you want to gowalk out in the back, you do
whatever it takes for you topursue the Lord.
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