"The Earth Was Filled"
Curse • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 3:1-13
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 3:1-13
Before We Get into the Lesson…
I’ve Got Something I’d Like to Say:
I’ve Really Struggled with How to Say this…
Because I Want it to Come Across the Right Way
I Take My Role as the Primary Teacher of this Congregation Very Seriously
Most of My Time is Spent Studying the Scriptures…
So that I can Know & Teach the Truth
It is My Duty to Teach What I Believe to Be True
But I’m Not Oblivious to the Fact…
That Not Everyone Agrees with Everything I Believe & Teach
That Being the Case…
If I Ever Say/Teach Something that Concerns You…
Please, Come Talk to Me
Let’s Study it Together
But What Happens Far Too Often is:
When the Teacher Says Something We Disagree with…
Instead of Going to Him & Talking to Him about it…
We Go Out & Talk to Everyone Else about Him:
Gossiping, Bad-Mouthing, & Slandering Him
I can Promise You…
If I Believe/Teach Something…
It’s Because I’ve Arrived at that Believe…
Through Careful Study of the Scriptures
And if Something I Say Concerns You…
I would Be More than Happy…
To Sit Down & Study it with You
Introduction
Introduction
We’re in Our 2nd Month, & Therefore, Our 2nd Theme…
In Our Year-Long Series of Themes…
That Progressively Tell the Story of Scripture
In January, We Focused on Creation
This Month Our Theme is:
Curse
Curse
Last Week, We Saw What Happened…
After Creation was Cursed…
We were Introduced to Sin…
And it’s Desire to Rule Over/Control Humanity
As We Keep Reading Through Genesis…
We Humanity Multiply & Fill the Earth…
Just as God Commanded
But it’s Not a Good Thing
Humanity has Fully Submitted to the Rule/Control of Sin
They Aren’t Filling the Earth with More Image-Bearers
They’re Filling the Earth with Something Else
Which Leads Us to the Thematic Quote from Our Text:
“The Earth Was Filled”
“The Earth Was Filled”
As Humanity Multiplied & Spread Throughout the Earth…
So Did Sin, Wickedness, Evil
Genesis 6:5–7 (CSB)
5 When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time, 6 the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and he was deeply grieved. 7 Then the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I created, off the face of the earth, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky—for I regret that I made them.”
Genesis 6:11 (NET)
11 The earth was ruined in the sight of God; the earth was filled with violence.
All of Humanity’s Thoughts, Plans, & Actions were Evil Constantly
“The Earth was Filled with Violence”
So Much So that God Regretted Creating Humanity
Sometimes You Hear People Compare…
The Current State of Morality in the World…
To the Moral State of the World in Noah’s Day
But, Let’s Be Honest…
Our World is Nowhere Close to Being as Bad as Noah’s World
We Can’t Imagine a World Where Everyone…
Is Thinking, Planning, & Doing Evil at All Times
It was an Absolutely Terrible Time to Be Alive
That’s Why God, in His Regret…
Decided to End All Life on Earth
It had Reached a Point of No Return
Sin had Complete Rule/Control of Humanity
The Only Way Forward for this Terribly Sad Story…
Was to Simply Put at End to it
But, Before God Threw Us in the Trash…
God Looked Down & Saw 1 Man…
Who wasn’t Being Ruled By Sin
Genesis 6:8–9 (NASB95)
8 But Noah found favor (“Grace” - NKJV) in the eyes of the Lord. 9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.
Noah was the Only Man Who Refused to Be Controlled By Sin
And Because of that One Man’s Faithfulness…
God Decided to Make a Change of Plans:
Instead of Ending the Human & Animal Race…
He was Going to Restart the Whole Project
Genesis 6:13–14 (CSB)
13 Then God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness because of them; therefore I am going to destroy them along with the earth. 14 “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and outside.
Genesis 6:17–19 (NASB95)
17 “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18 “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 “And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.
God Decided to Restart Creation
He’s Keep Representatives of All Living Creatures Alive…
While He Cleanses the Earth of All it’s Violence & Wickedness
The Flood was an Act of Destruction & Re-Creation
So He Gives Noah Specific Instructions to Build an Ark…
And Noah Obeys
Then He, His Family, & Representatives of Every Animal Board the Ark
Through the Flood…
God was Undoing Creation
The Flood was How God would “De-Create”…
So that He could “Re-Create”
In the Flood, Creation Reverted to its Original State:
The Earth is Once Again Filled with Water…
No More Land
No More Plants
No More Animals
No More Humans
Just a Dark & Empty Wasteland of a Planet
We’re Back to Where We Started
Then We See Re-Creation Begin the Same Way it Began the 1st Time:
1st Time:
“The Spirit of God Moved Over the Surface of the Waters”
2nd Time:
God Caused a Wind (Lit. rûaḥ = Spirit) to Move Over the Waters
Then Land Appeared Out of the Waters Again
Plant Life Begins to Spring Up Again
The Earth was Dry on the 1st Day of the 1st Month of the Year
A New Year, Signifying the Beginning of New Creation
And the 1st Command God Gives to Humanity & Animals…
Is the 1st Command He Gave Them Before:
“Be Fruitful & Multiply, & Fill the Earth”
Creation was Destroyed & then Renewed
All Sin, Wickedness, Corruption, & Evil…
Were Purged from the Earth
Earth has Been Washed Clean
Now God is Starting Over in this New Creation…
With a New & Faithful Family
But, Unfortunately, Like the 1st Creation…
New Creation Doesn’t Stay Pure for Very Long
Notice the Similarities to the 1st Fall of Humanity:
Noah Plants a Vineyard (Like a Garden)…
And Then Misuses the Fruit of that Garden…
Which Leads to His Nakedness Being Uncovered
The Fall is Repeating Itself:
The Creation is Still Cursed
Simply Starting Over isn’t the Answer…
To Creation’s “Curse” Problem
Creation Itself Needs to Be Redeemed/Restored…
To its Pre-Curse Glory
And According to the Scriptures…
That’s Exactly What God Plans to Do
In His Perfect Life, Sacrificial Death, & Resurrection…
Jesus Defeated Sin, Death, & the Curse
In Christ, Humanity is Spiritually Redeemed/Restored
And We’re Waiting for the Resurrection Day…
When We’ll Be Physically Redeemed/Restored
But it isn’t Just Humanity that’s Cursed
All Things were Cursed When Humanity Ate the Fruit
And the Scriptures Teach…
That All Things will Be Redeemed/Restored By Jesus
In Peter’s 2nd Sermon, He Said:
Acts 3:19–21 (NIV)
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
When Jesus Returns from Heaven…
He will Restore Everything
This is Exactly What Paul Tells the Romans:
Romans 8:18–23 (ESV)
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
Paul is Talking about Our Hope
What Things will Be Revealed to Us When Jesus Returns
He Says the Creation is Eagerly Waiting…
For the Day of Resurrection…
When We’ll Be Fully Adopted as God’s Children
Why would Creation Be Eagerly Waiting for that Day?
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Creation is Eagerly Waiting for Jesus’ Return…
Because it is Subjected to Futility…
And Enslaved to Corruption
And it Wants to Be Set Free, Just Like Us
Just Like We’re Eagerly Waiting for Jesus to Return…
So that We’ll Be Resurrected…
And Our Bodies will Be Redeemed/Restored…
Creation is Eagerly Waiting for Jesus’ Return…
So that it will Be Redeemed/Restored as Well
When Jesus Returns…
The Curse will Be Broken for Both Humanity & Creation
No More Corruption/Decay
But How can Paul Be Saying that Creation will Be Redeemed/Restored…
When Peter Says Creation will Be Destroyed By Fire?
Go Back & Read 2 Peter 3
Peter is Saying that There are Going to Be Mockers…
Who are Going to Say:
“Jesus Promised to Return, Didn’t He?”
“Well, Where is He?”
“He’s Supposed to Bring a Worldwide Judgment on the Wicked?”
“Well, Why should We Believe that?”
“God’s Never Done Such a Thing Before!”
That’s When Peter Says:
“They Forget about the Flood…”
“When, in Judgment, God Destroyed the Earth with Water”
2 Peter 3:7 (NASB95)
7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
Just Like God Destroyed the Earth with Water Before…
He’s Going to One Day Destroy the Earth with Fire
But Notice the Judgment/Destruction is Primarily…
For “Ungodly Men”
He Goes on to Say that the Reason God is Waiting so Long…
To Bring His Fiery, Destructive Judgment…
Is Because He is Patient & Wants All People to Repent
In Verses 10-12, He Describes with Terrifying Language…
The Intensity of His Coming Fiery Judgment
But Then He Says:
2 Peter 3:13 (NASB95)
13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
In the Beginning, God Created the Heavens & the Earth
Then, Because of the Curse…
Violence & Wickedness Filled the Earth
So God Destroyed the Earth with Water…
And Re-Created it for His Faithful People to Dwell in
But Even After the Re-Creation:
Sin Continued to Spread
The Curse Continued to Infect Creation
So God, Through Jesus, is Planning to:
“Restore All Things” - Peter
“Make All Things New” - John
“Set Creation Free from its Slavery to Corruption”
When Jesus Returns…
God will, Again, Destroy the Earth…
And, Again, Cleanse it of All Sin, Wickedness, & Violence…
And, Again, Re-Create it
Peter Says We are:
“Looking/Waiting for New Heavens & a New Earth”
According to the Scriptures:
Our Future Hope is having Our Bodies Redeemed/Restored in Resurrection…
And Then Living with God for Eternity in a Redeemed/Restored Creation
A New Heavens & New Earth Where Righteousness Lives
The Earth will Be Filled with Righteousness
If You have Any Questions or Concerns about this…
Remember What I Said in the Beginning:
Please, Come Talk to Me about it