Text: 2 Peter 3:8-15

Topic: How to prepare for the future

Introduction:

• Illustration: May begins the sermon by talking about the upcoming change of the millennium (January 1, 2000) and the predictions that were made in the 1950's about how life would be, all to lead to the question, "In the midst of all this change, how does a person prepare for life in the new millennium?"

• Illustration: May introduces the necessity of seeing the big picture by pointing out the foolishness of a preacher on a tiny radio station who opened his messages with the phrase, "Hello, world!"

• There is a bigger picture to life on this planet; living effectively in the 21st century requires that we learn to see it.

• Big Idea: If you really want to get involved in the life that God has given you, you have to learn to see the big picture.

• We tend to think in terms of NOW—we see the mundane details of our life as urgent.

• Illustration: May quotes college basketball coach Dean Smith: "If you make every game a matter of life and death, you'll be dead a lot."

• We should condition ourselves to ask the following question: Will this make a difference in 2,500 years?

• 2 Peter 3:8

• We must remember not to overplay our own importance.

• Illustration: May laughs at a fundraising letter from a narcissistic evangelist who considered himself the greatest voice of the century.

• 2 Peter 3:8

• Every minute—every second—of every day is crucial and must be lived to the fullest.

• We must learn to live IN the moment, but not FOR the moment.

• 2 Peter 3:11,14

• Illustration: May illustrates through a sports analogy and a famous play in the 1993 NCAA tournament, that good coaches know every play—and not just the final play—is crucial to success in the game.

• Illustration: May quotes the lyrics of a Randy Stonehill song ("Celebrate this Heartbeat") to illustrate that we should take every day as a gift to be lived to the fullest.

Prepare for the best.

• Most of us are pretty good at preparing for the worst.

• We must also step out in faith and prepare for the best.

• 2 Peter 3:13

• Illustrates: May illustrates failing to prepare for the best by recapping Sally Field's fumbling acceptance speech when she won an unexpected Academy Award.

• If you want to experience God's best in your life—you have to prepare for it.

• Illustration: May gives the examples of two prominent politicians, one who avoided military service and another who—preparing for a bright future in politics—served in Vietnam, knowing he needed to demonstrate citizenship if he was going to one day be a leader.

• Learning to see the big picture means that we accept in faith that God has great things in store for us—in this life and in the life to come.

Conclusion:

• Regardless of what negative people say, the Bible plainly teaches that our future is bright.

• We can face the 21st century with optimism, because God will be with us every step of the way.