Enter the Eternal Kingdom • 2 Peter 1:8-15
36:54 Teaching begins
Notes
Somehow I remember what I have to do if I’m really into it. I don’t have a problem remembering guitar stuff. I really like guitars. I don’t have a problem with getting excited about my birthday. I’m into me.
Remembering to enter the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ? That sounds like a lot of work. Why should I be into that? Be diligent? Bust a gut? I have to see the relevance.
Today we’re listening to a man who is about to take hold of eternal life indeed. He’s not depressed. He’s calm, happy, and he’s diligent.
He’s making an effort so we make an effort. He’s giving us reasons to be excited about entering the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ right now.
I’m reading in 2 Peter 1 from verse 8 (to 15).
1. Peter knows that his readers are believers, v. 12.
A. These people are already established in the truth. They have received Jesus. He’s in their lives. His word is in their lives.
B. He says, I’m just reminding you of what you already know. He knows he’s being Captain Obvious. He’s risking losing their attention because what do you do when you’ve heard this all before? Tune out.
C. Peter is about to see Jesus face to face.
1. You can believe that everything he’s talking about is reality to him. He’s been doing this for about 30 years. He is about to take hold indeed on eternal life.
2. He wants his readers to have the same attitude he has about eternal life. Enter into it! Live there!
2. Peter wants his readers to practice the seven attributes because this is learning Christ, v. 8.
A. Each of the seven attributes are really aspects of Christ. That is His excellence, His knowledge, His self- control, His perseverance, His godliness, His brotherly kindness, His love. We supply these to ourselves by depending on Jesus.
B. As we do this we are actually learning Jesus Christ Himself. Peter calls this the true knowledge of Jesus. It is the knowledge that comes through experience. Paul in Colossians 3 says we are putting off our old man and clothing ourselves with Christ. We live with Jesus, He lives in us.
3. This is entering into His eternal kingdom, v.11.
A. Jesus hasn’t set up His kingdom on earth yet. We live in a fallen world. We live in tents, like Peter says in vv. 13-14. A tent is a portable place to live for a little while. Tents back then were skins stretched over poles.
B. Yet Peter shows that we already live in that eternal kingdom right now. In Colossians 1:13 Paul says Jesus has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
C. We’ll talk about what that means in a few minutes.
4. One reason why we want to live in this eternal kingdom because we are useful and fruitful, v. 8.
A. Literally Peter says that as we live by the attributes of Jesus we won’t become useless or unfruitful. Isn’t that a funny way of putting it?
B. God called us and chose us, and He when He calls us, it’s to be what He wants us to be—useful and fruitful. His word never comes back to Him empty, not accomplishing what He sent it out for.
C. So each of us has a great desire to be useful in the eternal kingdom. We want to bear fruit. You know that it drives you nuts when you think that you’re not bearing fruit, you’re not accomplishing anything for Jesus, how frustrated you feel. That’s because God created you to be fruitful.
D. Peter knows that as you are diligent to pray, God, give me these seven attributes, He will, and you will be fruitful. That’s what you are created for. That’s your joy.
5. Here’s another reason to be diligent to seek after these attributes of Jesus: so you see clearly, v. 9.
A. You stay aware that Jesus is ruling in your life, that He is in control of everything, and especially you. You know that what happens to you is what He allows in order to work out His purposes in you. And you see clearly that He works all things together for good for those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose. That gives great peace. I can’t explain everything that happens, but I can see over time that God does work out His plan and He really does work all things together for good for me.
B. But when you’re not pursuing that knowledge of Jesus, you know that you lose sight of Jesus and things as they really are. You see only the surface appearance of things.
1. This looks like a world without God. It looks like evil is going to win. All over the world wicked men are getting away with stealing and oppression and murder. And if evil is winning and we’re about to be wiped out, let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Let’s get all the fun we can get right now because that’s all we’re going to get.
2. If we forget that we were cleansed of our sins we’re blind, we are short-sighted. We don’t see beyond this world to what is behind it.
C. God says that when the wicked prosper it’s only so that they are cut down like grass. If you look at things through the Bible you see clearly that God is about to wipe out evil all over the world. Psalm 92:6-7 A senseless man has no knowledge, nor does a stupid man understand this: that when the wicked sprouted up like grass, and all who did iniquity flourished, it was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.
D. This is not the time to get discouraged and drown ourselves in whatever sin we choose. This is especially the time to keep on receiving from Jesus and see clearly and have peace. It’s going to work out exactly as He said.
6. As you practice the attributes you’ll have confidence, v. 10.
A. Peter has confidence that his readers are established in the truth, v. 12.
B. But they themselves need the confidence that I am born again. God chose me. God called me.
1.You can see it in others, aw, you’re okay, don’t worry.
2. It’s another to know for yourself—God chose me. God called me. Because sometimes you sin, and you don’t see the evidence that your life is any different. Satan is right there to say, “Ya know, I don’t see any difference either. You are the same as you’ve ever been. Wow, sorry you’ve been so deceived, you poor chump.”
C. This is what the Holy Spirit does: He convicts you of sin so that you mourn over it. “You say, what kind of an idiot am I? How can I be saved?” And you turn to Jesus and confess your sin and you mourn and weep before Him. You’re sorry that you grieved the Holy Spirit.
D. And then the Spirit makes you think: “How could somebody not born again even care that he sinned? A pig after washing goes back to the mud. But you’re going to Jesus.” You could not do what you are doing unless God called and chose you.
E. Now, you can increase that confidence by doing what is right. Pursue those seven attributes and you will marvel that you are born again, that God Himself is working in your life. You could not do this apart from Him.
7. This entrance into Jesus’ kingdom will be continually supplied to you, v. 11.
A. As I said earlier, the kingdom is not yet on the earth physically. But you get to live in that kingdom right now.
1. Your life is eternal right now.
2. Jesus’ reigns forever in your life beginning right now.
3. His mercies are eternal, they are new every morning. They are secured by the death and resurrection of Jesus. They will never fade or get old. They are eternal mercies.
B. You live right now in a tent, just like Peter.
1. That tent gets old, worn, and you need a new one.
2. You will get a building, eternal in the heavens. Buildings are permanent, they have modern amenities that tents don’t have. Instead of a fire, it has natural gas. Instead of a latrine, you have built- in plumbing. When it storms outside you don’t worry that your building is going to be blown away because it has a foundation. It’s made without hands, which means that it’s not of this earth, it’s not temporary, it’s eternal.
C. But right now you have entrance into that eternal kingdom. As you clothe yourself with Christ and grow in knowing Him you are supplied that entrance. The word is epichoregeo, it means to be supported by someone rich enough to finance a group of performers. When you enter into that eternal kingdom you receive more than enough to handle this temporary life.
8. Peter is about to take hold on eternal life indeed, v. 12-15.
A. Jesus made it clear to him that he is about to take down his tent. He’s going to die.
B. He’s more concerned for them than for himself. I want you to be able to remember what I’m telling you right now. I’m being diligent so that you can be diligent. I’m putting effort into reminding you so that you can put effort into knowing and learning Jesus.
C. Peter has been entering into the eternal kingdom for a little over thirty years.
1. That abundant entrance has been richly supplied. He has been growing in knowing Jesus.
2. You think, what more could he learn? He saw Jesus face to face. He saw Him raised from the dead. He saw Him go into heaven.
3. But Peter has been learning even more for thirty years. Look at the Acts of the Apostles—he is still learning Christ. The Holy Spirit shows him, Gentiles are going to be saved, too! Look at Galatians 2, Peter still had to learn about not fearing man, but fearing God and holding on to the truth.
4. Everything he has learned and experienced makes him say, “Yes, Lord. I’m Yours. I look forward to taking hold on life indeed.”
D. He is not that far away, and neither are we. We are just about to take hold on eternal life indeed.
9. So what?
A. The supreme business of our lives is to enter into the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ right now.
B. I listen to Jack Hibbs, Amir Tsarfati, Jan Markell, Barry Stagner, J.D. Farag, John Haller. There’s only so many ways you can say: No man knows the day or the hour of Jesus’ return, we’re really close. How close are we? We are one week closer. You’ve heard everything they have to say right there.
C. You know how to be ready? Be found by Him doing what He wants you to do. And that is entering into His eternal kingdom right now. If we are entering into His kingdom every day then when He takes us there won’t even be a jolt. It will be natural and joyful.
D. Peter is diligent so that we will be diligent to enter into the eternal kingdom.
Let’s pray.