Tough-Minded About Heaven | Dr. David Jeremiah | 2 Peter 3:10-18

Peter says, "When it comes to your walk with the Lord, be diligent. Don't be half-hazard. Don't be lazy. Don't be passive. Go after it with all you have. Find out the things that you know that make you grow in Christ and help you to be a better Christian and concentrate on them.

Don't miss church because you want to do something. Whatever it is that you want to do that causes you to miss church, most of it's not worth that choice." And in our culture today, they've programmed everything on Sunday as if to concentrate on people not going to church.

And you have to be diligent to not let that happen to you. You have to stand up and say, "No, church is a critical important issue in my life, and I'm not going to let you take that away from me." >> Thank you for watching Turning Point. Here is Dr.

Jeremiah with his message, Tough- Minded About Heaven. In his second letter, Peter ended his letter with a question. After describing the renovation of the world at the end of the age, he said, "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be?"

That question is at the heart of our study today. Now that we know what the Bible teaches about heaven, now that we know that God's future has wonderful plans for his children, the question then is how should we now live because of what we know is coming. How should our life be changed?

So in the verses that follow, Peter tells us the answer to that question. And I want to share them with you today. In 1 Peter 1:13, the apostle uses a term that is the biblical equivalent of tough-mindedness. Here's what he wrote. Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind.

Now, that's not a term we would use today. We don't use the word gird. Loins of our minds. I've never said that in any normal conversation, but Peter is using an ancient expression which described the gathering up around the waist of the long eastern robes that would impede one's progress in running.

They would gird these robes up around them and tie them in a knot so that when they ran the robes didn't get in their way. In other words, Peter is telling his readers to put out of their minds all of the things that can cause them to stumble, the things that will get in their way of thinking God's thoughts after him.

He's saying, "Gird up the loins of your mind." Tough- mindedness means saying no to the mental junk of the world. These distractions get in the way of what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our minds and they keep us from focusing on what matters to God. Here from second Peter are five things that demand our tough-mindedness.

These are five things that are true because Jesus is coming back. Five things that are true because there is a heaven and a hell. Five things that are true because if we take them seriously, we know where we're headed. You can't know about heaven and believe in heaven, be confident that you're going to heaven without it changing the things that you do on the earth in anticipation of it.

First of all, Peter said, "Because we're going to heaven, we should be toughminded about purity." Second Peter 3:11 reads like this. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? In this one verse, Peter describes the lifestyle of a Christ follower who understands the future plan of God.

Notice, first of all, he says we ought to be people of holy conduct. That doesn't mean we walk around with halos on our head. It means we live righteously. The word holy means to be set apart for the service of God. Peter addressed this same thing in his first letter.

Listen to these words. Therefore, g up the loins of your mind. Be sober. Rest your hope fully upon grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust, as in your ignorance, but as he who has called you as holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." >> Peter tells us that we're to be tough- minded about godliness.

This illustrates the importance of our inward attitude. The word godliness means to have a godward attitude. That God is included in our thought process. He is the leader in the way we think. He doesn't just have a seat at the table. He is the originator and leader and director of our thought process.

We do things that are well pleasing to him. Tough- minded about purity. There's never been a time when more people's lives were at stake at this issue than there is today. Because there's never been a time when seduction has been more intense in every aspect of life than it is in this very hour.

So here's what the Bible says. Gird up the loins of your mind. Get tough- minded about this. You take control and don't let that take control of you. Then tough- minded about promises. In verse 12, he says, "Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God."

According to Peter, it's easy to become indifferent to the future and to what it means. In fact, in second Peter, he says that in the end times, scoffers will come walking according to their own lust and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming?" They will poo poo the coming of Christ.

They will say, "It's just in your mind." Or, "I know you guys need to believe that." And if that's what you need to believe, then they're scoffers. Their mockery stems from a short-sighted view of life. They think because Jesus hasn't come since he announced he was coming that he won't come.

And they believe that God's working on their time schedule. The Bible says one day with the Lord is like a thousand years. 1 thousand years is one day. What does that mean? It means that God never looks at his watch because God's timing is perfect. I believe it's soon.

Don't you? We see the things happening around us today that remind us that while we can't tell you for sure when the Lord is coming, we can sure identify the season of his coming. And more things are on the plate right now than ever have been before than I can remember.

Even the nations coming together in certain patterns and things that are happening around the world. One thing we know for sure, our redemption is nearer now than when we first believed his coming will be soon. And because of that, we need to be tough- minded about our profession.

Don't let people push you in a corner about your faith in the return of Christ. Our citizenship is in heaven. And the Bible says, "We eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." One writer captured this perspective with these words. A habitual contemplation of the truth that all we see is soon to pass away would produce a most solemn effect on our minds.

It would make us serious. It would lead us not to desire to accumulate what must soon be destroyed. It would prompt us to lay up treasures in heaven. It would cause us to ask with deep earnestness whether we are prepared for these amazing scenes should they suddenly burst upon us.

In other words, what if we knew for certain, if it was absolutely without possibility of not happening, if we knew for certain two weeks from now Jesus would come and we'd be ushered into heaven, spend our eternity there, how would that change the way we spend these next two weeks?

We would make a whole lot of different kinds of decisions. Would we know that? But ladies and gentlemen, we know that. >> We know he's coming soon. We know it could happen at any moment in our lifetime. How then, says the scripture, should we live? That's the question.

How is heaven and knowing that we're going to spend eternity there making a difference in how we live today? Thirdly, tough- minded about our purpose. 2 Peter 3:14 says, "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace without spot and blameness."

Here's the thing I think is really hard for people to understand. Holiness is hard. Say that with me. Holiness is hard. We don't just become holy because we put a Bible under our pillow at night and sleep on it. We're not holy because we come to church. We don't become holy because we know a few scriptures or sing a few songs.

Holiness is the daily diligent pursuit of righteousness in our life. Peter says, "When it comes to your walk with the Lord, be diligent. Don't be haphazard. Don't be lazy. Don't be passive. Go after it with all you have. Find out the things that you know that make you grow in Christ and help you to be a better Christian and concentrate on them.

Don't miss church because you want to do something whatever it is that you want to do that causes you to miss church. Most of it's not worth that choice. And in our culture today, they've programmed everything on Sunday as if to concentrate on people not going to church.

And you have to be diligent to not let that happen to you. You have to stand up and say, "No, church is a critical important issue in my life, and I'm not going to let you take that away from me." Those are illustrations that help me understand what it means to be diligent.

Take your goal, put it out in front of you, and don't let anybody dissuade you from it. And if you do that, you will learn how to be tough- minded about your purpose. So, Peter's given us this incredible list. tough-minded about our purity, our promises, our purpose, toughminded about our profession.

He says, "Therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the air of the wicked." Peter says, "If you know you're going to heaven, don't get lazy minded. Don't just sit around and think, "This is cool. I'm going to heaven.

Everything's fine." Because the enemy will come after you. The Bible says he goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may destroy. The enemy is out to dissuade you from your holy righteousness. I don't believe Peter was saying we can fall from our salvation. He was exhorting us to be strong in our profession of faith to know what we believe and let nothing keep us from believing it.

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We are responsible before God to stay rooted and grounded in faith to rightly divide the word of truth. Do you know that when Peter, Paul, and James were doing their job, they were inundated by false teachers? We have a lot of false teachers today, they're more um seductive.

They're more kind of in the background. They just sort of sneak their way in. They get their little false teaching and they surround it with biblical truth as if it were from God. But in Paul's day, it was just blatant false teaching. And they were constantly exposed to it.

And I want to tell you, the devil still has his agents who ask, "Did God really say that?" That's how Satan works. He makes us doubt his word. And then the next thing we know, we become a victim of his craft. Finally, Peter says, "Be tough- minded about your progress."

This is my favorite point in the whole list. He says, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. You know why that's important? That's the last thing Peter ever said that's recorded in the Bible.

He said, "Grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord." And the question then comes to all of us. Am I growing in grace? Am I growing as a Christian? This is one of Peter's exhortations in this chapter. He says, "We're to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

And the best way to overcome those that are coming after you is keep growing. You're going so fast they can't get you. You're becoming a Christian of such magnitude that they don't know where to get at you. The least thing you can do is sit back and worry about people coming after you to destroy you and you're not growing.

Be a growing aggressive Christian. And if you are that according to Peter, you will be blessed. You say, "Pastor, how do I grow?" Well, you grow through the will of God. Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Did you know that God wants you to grow? He's the one who started the work in your heart and when you first believed. And he's not going to quit on you. He doesn't leave things half finishedish. He wants you to grow and be mature. That's his purpose. That should be your purpose.

Growth comes through the watchfulness of prayer. 1 Peter 4:7, "But the end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers." The closer we come to Christ's return, the more we need prayer. I know it's not always easy, but praying creates a climate for spiritual growth.

Praying Christians are growing Christians. And then number three, growth comes through the word of God. Revelation 22:7 says, "Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. And ladies and gentlemen, that's what we're all about here in this church.

When you come to this church every weekend, you should expect to be nourished up in the good word of God. I don't have a motivational message for you. I don't have any traalog I'm going to give you. I'm not a historian. I know how to do one thing, and that's nourish you up in the good word of God.

And the Bible says that the word of God is the source of our growth. When you read the word of God and study the word of God and the word of God gets in your heart, it causes you to grow. That's why it's called the milk that you drink when you're first a Christian and then later on it's called the meat of the word as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby.

First Peter 2:2. And then growth comes not only through the will of God and the watchfulness of prayer and the word of God. Growth comes through the work of the church. And I want to just explain all of this today the best I can. Hebrews 10 says we're to consider one another in order to keep up love and good works and we're to assemble together every week.

We're to come together as God's people. Now, I know that's a strange thing. Many of you who are listening on the internet, you're going to be upset by this, but I hope you do get upset and do something about it. Here's what I want to tell you. If you're able-bodied and you live near a church, you should be in church.

You shouldn't be listening to me on the internet. You should be in church. You say, "Well, pastor, I'm going to just shut you off then from now on." God does some of his best work in the church. That's why he wants you to be there. He knows that you need to be there and he knows the church needs you to be there because that's where you will grow.

One man who embodied all of this was a man by the name of Dr. Charles McCoy. Dr. McCoy never married, but he devoted his life to pastoring a church in Oyster Bay, New York. During the time he was pastoring that church, he earned seven college degrees. And at 72, he retired, not certain what he was going to do for the future.

Then he met a missionary who invited him to India. Though hesitant at first, he agreed. And when warned of the risks, McCoy simply said, "It's just as close to heaven from India as it is from here." Soon after arriving in Bombay, he was robbed. He lost his passport.

And then he discovered the missionary he'd planned to meet was gone. At a loss, he decided to visit the mayor's office. Dr. McCoy handed his business card to the receptionist who was told to return that afternoon. And when he did, he was surprised to find a reception in his honor.

Attended by prominent officials of Bombay, his commanding presence, his white hair, his long list of degrees made him appear like he was a US dignity. So they all came out to welcome him. Dr. McCoy spoke for 30 minutes giving his testimony about Jesus. Afterward, a military officer invited him to speak at India's equivalent of West Point and more invitations followed.

Soon he became a sought-after preacher across all of India and for the next 16 years, he proclaimed Christ with power and purpose. Finally, at the age of 88, he arrived in what was then Kolkata, stopped at the front desk for his room key, stepped onto the elevator, and was whisked right up to heaven.

That's another reason why heaven is transformational because it's never very far away. It's only a breath away when you get down right to it. Wherever life takes us, our eternal home is secure. A city built by God, prepared by Jesus, and we have to live with joyful anticipation as we await the final journey.

And it should change our lives every day knowing that we're going to be with Jesus forever and ever. One of my favorite sports stories is about Florence Chadwick, who was no stranger to long-distance swimming. In fact, she was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions.

But one of her most memorable swims didn't end in victory, and at least not at first. It was 1952 and she set out to swim the 26 miles from Catalina Island to the California coastline. The water was cold and the fog was thick. And after swimming for 15 hours, she finally gave up.

She was physically exhausted and emotionally spent. Here's the part of the story that stung. When she got back in the boat, she was less than a mile from the shore. Later, she told reporters, "I'm not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the shore, I might have made it."

Two months later, she tried again. Same distance, same cold water, same heavy fog. But this time, she finished. What made the difference? She said, "I kept a mental image of the shoreline in my mind the entire time." Florence Chadwick succeeded the second time, not because the fog was gone, but because she kept the shoreline in mind.

Just thinking about her destination gave her the strength to keep going. And that's what heaven can do for us. When life gets foggy, when the days feel long and the struggle wears us down, just knowing what's ahead can give us the courage to keep swimming. Heaven is our shoreline.

It reminds us that this isn't the end of the story. God has something beautiful waiting for us. Keep your eyes on the shore. >> And then live your life the way you know God would be pleased if he should intervene in your life at any moment. I hope that God will use this to challenge us.

Maybe some of us need to take a little inventory. It's so easy in a church like ours to just settle down into the comfort of biblical messages every week. good worship songs, maybe a class to go to, social life that's meaningful. But what are we doing for God?

What are we really doing with the gifts he's given us? And you know what the Bible tells us? Every single one of us has a gift. God gives every one of us a gift when we become his followers. And if you're willing to be used of God, I want you to use this challenge to do something about it.

You say, "What am I going to do?" Be diligent. Go after it. Exercise yourself. Do something about it. You know, we can we can live in the comfort of what we think we'd like to do for a long time without ever doing it. Don't let that strategy get you.

Sit down this week and make a list of the things you think God might be able to use from what you know how to do and what he's equipped you to do and find a way by the grace of God to do it. Amen. If you have never taken ((music playing)) the step to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can do that today.

If you will allow us, Dr. Jeremiah would like to send you two resources ((music playing)) that will help you. The first is a booklet called Your Greatest Turning Point, which will help you as ((music playing)) you begin your relationship with Christ. And the second is our monthly devotional magazine, Turning Points, ((music playing)) to give you encouragement and inspiration throughout the year.

These resources ((music playing)) are yours completely free when you contact Turning Point today. Next time on Turning Point. ((music playing)) Just when people ((music playing)) needed hope, God would send a baby, a king, to offer a foretaste ((music playing)) of a better future. But ((music playing)) why? Why was a virgin chosen to be the mother of Jesus?

Why would an earthly man be chosen to raise a baby sent from heaven? Why choose the lowliest of men to ((music playing)) be the first to see the newborn king? Why did kings ((music playing)) come from the east to worship the king of the Jews? ((music playing)) Why Bethlehem? And perhaps the most important question, why should we care?

And what should the baby in Bethlehem ((music playing)) mean to me? I'm David Jeremiah. Won't you journey back with me to a far away ((music playing)) place and to a time that might otherwise be forgotten? >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> This Christmas, travel back in time as we answer the mystery, the meaning, and the question.

Why the nativity ((music playing)) ((music playing))