How to Live in Troubled Times

In this timely and stabilizing message, Chuck Swindoll addresses the profound disquiet that often accompanies living in a “troubled and disturbing era.” He begins with a relatable analogy of the GPS systems in our cars—devices we have come to depend on for direction, and which offer a gracious “recalculating” whenever we miss a turn. Chuck argues that the Bible serves as God’s Positioning System, a spiritual GPS designed to keep the believer on the right path regardless of the cultural “fog” or the mocking voices of the age. Drawing from the final chapter of 2 Peter, Chuck explores the apostle’s valedictory warning about the “scoffers” of the last days and the coming “Day of the Lord.” This study serves as a theological anchor, moving the believer away from the “instability” of the world and toward a “Resident Dynamic” of growth in grace and knowledge.

The core of the teaching focuses on the imperative to remain “stable and assured” while the world around us is being “laid bare.” Chuck observes that we are prone to spiritual drift when we lose sight of God’s timing and His promises. By examining the transition from the “mockery” of the scoffers to the “magnificent” promise of a new heaven and a new earth, Chuck reveals that the Holy Spirit acts as the ultimate “Harbor Pilot,” navigating us through the “uncharted waters” of prophetic history toward a life of “quiet and consistent obedience.” The goal of this message is to provide the “inner filter” needed to detect error and to encourage a “long obedience in the same direction” as we prepare for the inevitable return of the King.

Message Key Facts:

• The Spiritual GPS and Recalculating Grace: Chuck highlights the beauty of God’s Word as a guide that doesn’t just judge our wrong turns but “recalculates” our route. He notes that while we may feel lost, we are never truly lost when we follow the scriptures. He encourages the “fellow struggler” to listen for that internal “recalculating” voice of the Spirit, which stops us in our tracks and redirects us toward the truth when we have wandered into the “minor keys” of personal failure.
• The Anatomy of the Scoffer: A major highlight is Chuck’s analysis of the skepticism prevalent in the “last days.” He notes that scoffers don’t just doubt; they follow their own “lusts” and mock the idea of divine intervention. Their “scales of unbelief” lead them to argue that “all things continue just as they were.” Chuck warns that we must not be rattled by those who treat the return of Christ as a “feckless tragedy” or a myth, but must instead ground our faith in the “God-breathed” history of creation and judgment.
• The Perspective of Divine Timing: Chuck explores the staggering reality of God’s relationship with time: “With the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” He argues that what we perceive as “delay” is actually “divine patience.” God is not slow; He is a “Harbor Pilot” who is delaying the final storm to allow more time for “slow recoveries” and for people to come to repentance. This provides a “refreshing reassurance” that our current trials are held within a sovereign, well-timed plan.
• The Question of Conduct: Chuck dives into the heart of the message in verse 11: “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be?” He argues that the knowledge of the end times should not lead to “voodoo prophecies” or “mystical mumbling,” but to “holy conduct and godliness.” He emphasizes that the “Resident Dynamic” of the Spirit is given to help us live lives of “character and integrity” in the midst of a world that is passing away.
• The “Stable and Assured” Mandate: Chuck focuses on the danger of being “carried away by the error of unprincipled men.” He notes that spiritual instability is often a result of neglecting the “intake” of the Word. He encourages the church to be “on their guard,” using the Spirit as an “inner filter” to discern truth from the “distorted” interpretations that lead to destruction. He asserts that our stability is directly linked to our willingness to “stay under” the teaching of the whole counsel of God.
• The Dual Growth Policy: The sermon reaches its climax with the command to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Chuck argues that knowledge without grace produces a “cold, clinical legalism,” while grace without knowledge produces a “shallow, emotional sentimentalism.” The Spirit provides the “dynamic” to balance both, resulting in a “radically transformed life” that is seasoned with the salt of truth and the sweetness of the Savior’s character.

Message References:

• 2 Peter 3:1–18: The primary text for the study. Chuck walks through the “recalculating” nature of the letter, the warning about scoffers, the fire of judgment, and the final call to spiritual growth and stability.
• Psalm 90:4: The foundational text on God’s eternal perspective on time, used by Chuck to support the point that God’s “delays” are actually manifestations of His mercy.
• Romans 15:4: The “creed of hope.” Chuck uses this to show that everything written in earlier times—including these warnings from Peter—is designed for our “patience and comfort” from the scriptures.
• Hebrews 4:12: A reminder that the Word of God is “alive and active” and a “critic of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Chuck links this to the “GPS” analogy of the Bible.
• 2 Timothy 3:16–17: The doctrine of Theopneustos (God-breathed). Chuck highlights that the scriptures are the only “reliable information” that can grow us up into maturity.
• Matthew 24:35–36: Jesus’ own words regarding the end times: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Chuck uses this to ground the “certainty” of Peter’s message.
• John 16:13: The promise of the Spirit of Truth. Chuck reaffirms the Spirit as the “Pilot” who navigates the believer through the “disturbing era” of scoffers and skeptics.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll