Not a popular message (II Peter 3:10)

Here's our focus verse for this week:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. (II Peter 3:10)

We've alluded before to the fact that people mock Christians and scoff at their faith. They are not welcoming or even tolerant of believers. You see, as we said before, we make them uncomfortable! They'd prefer not to think about a Creator God.  If they were to acknowledge the existence of God, they would also need to acknowledge that there is an absolute standard -- there is right, and there is wrong. Then they would be forced by logic to examine themselves and determine if their lives are on the side of "right" or on the side of "wrong."

Have you ever heard the term "don't kill the messenger"?
It apparently originates in the ancient play "Antigone" by Sophocles, where the statement is made, "No one loves the messenger who brings bad news." Then Shakespeare used in a couple of his plays, and we know that in the Middle Ages, monarchs who received bad tidings from another kingdom often would lash out at the messenger or envoy who had brought the news. Some cultures, however, continued the practice of the ancient Chinese, who were careful not to injure or execute the messengers - it was not considered chivalrous nor virtuous to do otherwise. If you didn't like the message that the envoy delivered, you still didn't yell, "Off with his/her head!"

Why the history lesson?
Because we have a message to tell, too. And it's not a popular one.
Our message can get us ridiculed, persecuted, and in some regions, killed.

Peter outlined our message in verse ten. Peter doesn't say this in order to set up a detailed account. No spreadsheet or timeline here! He doesn't want us to be drawing up charts and diagrams regarding prophecies. He is making one very important point: this world and all of the "treasures" in it are going to burn. God is going to re-create the heavens and the earth; there will be a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness will dwell.
So our gospel message, telling people about salvation in Jesus Christ, is accompanied by this message at the same time: you have a choice. You can accept the grace and mercy of our Father, and the gift of eternal life, or you can reject it. You can live for everything that is most certainly going to be destroyed, or you can live so that you will have an inheritance in that new heaven and earth.

Now, you are not going to find me walking the streets of the tiny town that is closest to my home, carrying a placard of gloom and doom. I won't be telling people that the world is going to end on a certain date.
BUT......
Christ is going to return and exact judgement on the earth. We need to be gently telling others of the gospel and their choice.....
Peter is telling us that although Christ has not returned in judgment (YET), that the day will come. And that the consequences for those who have not repented of their sins will be disastrous. We studied in verse nine that Peter says one reason for the delay (or what we perceive as a delay) in the Lord's coming is that He is patiently giving sinners the opportunity to repent. But we also studied that to conclude that He isn't coming is a huge mistake!
See how Peter begins verse 10?
"The day of the Lord......"
If you have time, it would be interesting to look up all of the uses of that phrase in our Bible. It was used a lot by the Old Testament prophets. Sometimes it pointed to historical judgments, but many times it looks forward in time. It points to a final, great day of judgement. Here are some examples:

See, the day of the Lord is coming    —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate    and destroy the sinners within it. (Isaiah 13:9)

But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—    a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes.The sword will devour till it is satisfied,    till it has quenched its thirst with blood.
For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrifice    in the land of the north by the River Euphrates. (Jeremiah 46:10)

Here are some more examples if you want to study further: Ezekiel 13:5, and 30:3, Joel 1:15, Joel 2:1,11,31, Malachi 4:1,5. There are others!
The same theme is repeated if we look in the New Testament: Acts 2:20, I Corinthians 5:5, Revelation 16:14, and others.

Now, honestly, we don't have to think too hard to recall people who have told us they don't care for the "fire and brimstone," right? Haven't we spoken with people who have said they just wish that preacher would concentrate less on hellfire and more on the kindness of God?
That imagery of God's judgment is just so harsh to our ears today. It would be nicer to hear about a kind and gentle God who will be nice to sinners.
Of course, Paul does talk about "the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience" in Romans:

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

But we need to take this in context..... look at the very next verse!

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. (Romans 2:5)

What's the application here?
While we should spread the word of God's kindness to those who repent, we must also warn that a day of frightening judgement is coming for those who don't repent.
That's our message.
But it's unpopular.
Let's pray that they don't kill the messengers!
And let's study more on this next time.