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The Book of
2nd Peter: Message Thirty Eight
By Dr. Michael Guido, D.D.
There was a young
ministerial student who filled the pulpit for an old man of God. But
he didn't seem to know much about the Savior or the Scriptures. A
deacon wanted to help him, so he took him aside and said, "I
want to help you, and I'm going to put my remarks in the form of a
parable." He smiled, and said, "I'll never forget Archie
Tucker's first deer hunt. He was green. He followed the deer all
right, but he followed it all day in the wrong direction."
That's true of so many. They try to have Christianity without
Christ, and they seek to bring in the kingdom without the King. But
that's impossible. So let's think on these things as we turn to 2nd
Peter 3:12, that reads, "Looking for and hasting unto the
coming of the day of God."
Every doctrine has its duty, and
every truth its task. And what is the duty of the doctrine of the
Second Coming of Christ? It's found in the words "watch"
and "work" or "looking and hasting." The Lord
didn't reveal this truth to give us itching ears, but glowing
hearts; not to make us star-gazers, but soul-winners. Something is
wrong with you if you don't put some motion to your devotion, some
expression to your impression, some work to your faith. You're not
only to be hoping for the coming of Christ, but hastening His
coming. How?
By prayer. Our Lord said,
"After this manner pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come." His kingdom can't come
until the King comes. We sometimes hear people pray, "Lord,
help us to bring in Thy kingdom." You can't have a kingdom
without the King. You can't set up His kingdom. Only He can do that.
But we can pray for the coming of the King. Indeed, the last book of
the Bible, in the last chapter, and in the last two verses, there's
a prayer that reads, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Only the
Savior can put sin out of this world. Who's back of all sin? Satan.
When Christ, the King, comes to set up His Kingdom, He'll have a
sinless society. Why? It will be a satanless society. Who's back of
all wars? The wicked one. When Christ, the King, comes to set up His
Kingdom, He'll have a warless world. Why? The devil will be cast
into a dungeon. When Jesus died they put Him in a tomb. Then the
devil and his disciples demanded that a seal be put on His tomb. So
the Roman authorities did seal the tomb. But Jesus, blessed be His
name, defeated death and the devil, He overcame sin and the seal,
and He came back to life. But Satan won't be able to burst the seal
that the Lord will put on the pit when he's bound and cast into it.
So when Christ the King reigns and rules, there'll be a satanless
and sinless society, a warless and weedless world, with no disease
or death, with no lawbreakers and lawlessness, and the homes will
have only health, happiness and holiness.
There's another way you can hasten
His coming. How's that? By preaching. Dr. R.G. Lee said, "God
calls for a world-wide proclamation, 'Go ye into all the world.' 'Ye
shall be witnesses unto Me...unto the uttermost parts of the world.'
The world-wide proclamation is vitalized by a world-wide Presence.
'I am with you always.' This Presence is possessed by a world-wide
power. 'All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth.' This
world-wide power is directed by a world-wide plan. 'Go...preach the
Gospel.' 'Teach all nations.' This world-wide plan sets forth a
world-wide plight. 'All have sinned and come short of the glory of
God.' 'By the offense of one, judgment came upon all men.' This
world-wide plight brings forth a world-wide propitiation. 'He is the
propitiation for our sins - and not for ours only but also for the
sins of the whole world.' This world-wide propitiation holds a
world-wide promise. 'In Thy seed shall all the nations of the earth
be blessed.' 'For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through Him might be saved.' This
world-wide promise contains a world-wide prophecy. 'All the ends of
the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord; and all the
kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee.' This world-wide
prophecy must be fulfilled for God to keep His world-wide pledge.
'Ask of Me and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.' This
world-wide pledge will be redeemed according to the world-wide
purpose. 'He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil
sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.' For it is
written, 'As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me and
every tongue shall confess to God.'" My friend, won't you bow
to Jesus and believe on Him now! If you believe the Gospel, won't
you behave it and broadcast it?
"Toil on, faint not, keep
watch and pray: be wise the erring ones to win;
Go forth into the world's
highways, compel the wanderer to come in.
"Toil on, and in Thy toil
rejoice; for after toil comes rest, for exile home;
Soon shalt thou hear the
Bridegroom's voice, the midnight peal, 'Behold, I come.'"
copyright 2000 Guido
Evangelistic Association
All Scripture
verses are quoted from the New King James Version..
Click here to go to the next Scripture Study on the book of Second
Peter from the Sower.
This series of
messages on the Books of the Bible were originally
written for broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program,
"The Sower." They are collected and
reprinted here for your enjoyment and spiritual
edification.
