Beware False Teachers

Intro

There has been a lot of talk of going back to the word of God, going back to the basics and one of the main reasons why we do that is because of what we are going to learn today, and that is because of the false teachers out there. Beware of counterfeits. How do we know that what they are teaching is wrong? well we have already gone to the basics and started from there. We have been learning to back to the word of God so we can know when people are twisting the truth of God.

There was a man in the early 1900’s named Charles Ponzi, I am sure the name may sound familiar who dealt in a type of counterfeit. In 1919, after having set himself up in a small export-import business, Ponzi received a letter from a Spanish company requesting an advertising catalog. Inside the envelope, he found an international reply coupon (IRC), a type of voucher accepted in various other countries in exchange for local postage stamps. Ponzi quickly realized the moneymaking potential of taking advantage of exchange-rate differences to buy IRCs in one country and redeem them in another. In 1920, Ponzi organized a company called Securities Exchange Co. in which he sold stock (promissory notes) advertising 50% interest after 90 days. The funds obtained from investors were supposed to be used to buy IRCs to redeem in the U.S. Instead, Ponzi used funds obtained from new investors to pay off old investors. by way of explaining why he did this, Ponzi blamed the Universal Postal Union for suspending the sale of IRCs once it learned about his coupon redemption scheme. After attempting to get around the suspension, Ponzi shifted to his “Rob Peter to pay Paul” scheme. For a while, it worked. He raked in $15 million ($220 million in 2022 dollars) in the first eight months of 1920.6 He kept the scheme going by telling investors he had created an elaborate network of agents buying IRCs for him overseas that he could redeem in the U.S. for a tidy profit. In fact, there was no elaborate network of coupon buyers; he was using new investments to pay off old investors.

Sounds crazy right? But we often fall for the same counterfeit schemes when it comes to teaching on the Bible, How often do we fall for things that false teachers say when they twist scripture to make it sound like truth. We must remember that we need to beware the false teachers out there that would lead us astray, for there is condemnation promised to those who twist the word of God and lead people astray.

1-3 False Teachers described

I changed up what I was going to be preaching on due to seeing some things being taught on churches around the world that where starting to worry me. We are dealing with essentials that would lead people away from what the bible says. Things whether they are essential or not that have gone against the word of God. We do sometimes differ in beliefs in some of the way we do things in different churches, different ways of interpreting scripture that do not matter in the grand scheme of things. I have a friend who is a 5 point reformed theologian. I had a hard time working with him in ministry because our beliefs on salvation, which did not really matter in the grand scheme of things, varied so much that it just did not work. We are still good friends, I firmly believe He is a child of God but we stopped talking about those things because we could never come to an agreement. But these where things that when reading scripture within context was way off and leading people not to the one true God but someones wrong interpretation of God. RC Sproul I believe said that to believe anything about God that is contrary to the scriptures is not believing in God but an idol.

that being said we have a description of what the false teachers where saying that we are being warned about.

2 Peter 2:1 CSB

1 There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves.

Just like today, there where false prophets back then as well. Destructive heresies Peter calls them. They come in to deceive. They are not those that are ignorant of the word of God, that just do not know yet what the Bible teaches. They knew the truth but rejected it in favor of what they believed.

what they are doing we are told is “denying the master who bought them”. This is an interesting phrase. 1 Corinthians tells us that we where bought with a price by God. As followers of Jesus this terminology means that our lives are no longer our own, but rather we where bought by Jesus through His death on the cross and our job is to serve Him.

The Bible is used by them not to enlighten but to deceive. They come in pretending to believe what we believe. They even sometimes use the same words that we use. As one commentator put it, they are reading off the same vocabulary but not the same dictionary.

2 Peter 2:2–3 CSB

2 Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them. 3 They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.

Many will follow the supposed truth that they teach and will be maligned because of what they believe. Another thing to point out, it almost seems as if Peter is saying they too where bought at a price but then fell away. Which begs the question, can they have fallen away from God and lost their salvation? I do not think so. Again taking the Bible within context we read that the message of salvation is for all. When it comes to efficacy, the message of salvation is sufficient for all. The option to be purchased was there for all, and Jesus was power is sufficient for all. But when it comes to the application, the Lord’s death is limited to those that choose to follow Him. This is a tough subject and I will spend time on it another day. What I am trying to say though is They where people who claimed to be followers of Jesus, had the option of choosing Him, knew all the words to say but instead rejected Him.

They will be popular it says. people will love what they teach because it tickles their ears. We even get that now with people who claim to be teachers of the word of God but are nothing better then motivational speakers. Their goal often is greed, and their own motivation will be for themselves and for the selfishness of the people that follow them.

“God wants your best life now” Joel Osteen teaches us but that is not what the Bible teaches us. God wants us to follow Him now because our best life will come when we go to see Him. Beware false teachers that use the right words but the wrong dictionary. That come in thinking they are teaching truth but are out for themselves and the people that follow them. There condemnation is pronounced, which is where we go next.

4-10- Condemnation

This is one of the hard things in the Bible that we often do not like to talk about. I had a conversation with a pastor about 8 years ago and He said “you guys” (baptsists maybe) “focus to much on the negative side of the gospel. I like to teach people that they can have freedom and salvation but I dont like to tell them the are sinners, that is to negative” That made me sad and worried. We do not like it, but people need to know what it is they are saved from, and that they can be saved.

2 Peter 2:4 CSB

4 For if God didn’t spare the angels who sinned but cast them into hell and delivered them in chains of utter darkness to be kept for judgment;

Verses 4-9 are one long sentence. something to think about, the messengers of God, the angels in heaven when they sinned where given no chance, They deserved Judgement. They deserved it because they knew better. They knew God and where with God and where created by God but they choose to sin, at least some of them and because of that where condemned. They knew the consequences. If God did that with the angels, who deserved death because of the choices they made condemnation was given to them.

Sound familiar? If God condemned the angels who sinned against Him how much more anger will be poured out on those who have a second chance, who God sent His son to give them a way back.

2 Peter 2:5–10 CSB

5 and if he didn’t spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others, when he brought the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and if he reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes and condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is coming to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, distressed by the depraved behavior of the immoral 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day by day, his righteous soul was tormented by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 especially those who follow the polluting desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold, arrogant people! They are not afraid to slander the glorious ones;

The Lord knows how to rescue the Godly from trials we are told and to keep the unrighteous under condemnation. We are told a few reminders of other times judgement has been held against people. didn't they have a choice though? Like the rest of humanity, they also had a choice. Look to Abraham's plea for any righteous that can be found in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. If there be any righteous there will you still destroy it He asks of God. God told Him no, not if you can find anyone righteous in the city. Look at the story of Rahab in Jericho. She saw the Israelite's and instead of getting destroyed she was saved for her faith in God.

even Noah, the world was given a 120 year countdown to the flood judgement on the people. Not only that, but it would have taken Him about 50-75 years to build the ark we figure. They would have came to him and asked what He was doing and given an answer. God would not have given people who believed in Him a punishment like that as we can see from the evidence.

It may seem like it is an evil thing for the Lord to punish people for their choice to go against Him. But We have been given a chance, we all deserve death for our sin and all that we have done, that any would be saved from what we deserve is a miracle. But for those that twist the word of God to lead people away from the one true God to their own twisted beliefs there is condemnation given. Which means on the other side we have a job to do. We must share the word of God in all it’s truth so that people will not be led astray but will turn to the one true God.

10-22 - The Impotence of their teaching

verses 10 to 17 continue on with the same theme, the Judgement on those who lead people away from the One true God and what He teaches us.

2 Peter 2:13–14 CSB

13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are spots and blemishes, delighting in their deceptions while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery that never stop looking for sin. They seduce unstable people and have hearts trained in greed. Children under a curse!

But because we are limited in time we move on to the impotence of there teaching. Honestly this has been one of the harder sermons I have had to preach. It is terrinbly sad that Judgement is due to those that refuse to follow God. A sense of urgency instead of anger should be placed within our hearts to make sure more people do not fall to their teachings.

2 Peter 2:17 CSB

17 These people are springs without water, mists driven by a storm. The gloom of darkness has been reserved for them.

Likened to the living waters that are offered by our Lord and savior, the teachings of the false teachers are like springs but without water, their teachings are empty. Where as Jesus offers life eternal what they teach has no substance.

Like dogs and pigs, vile creatures they are considered, false teachers are unclean and return to the pagan truths of the world. The more they teach the more they start to resemble the truths of the world and start bending and caving to the pressures of the world and it’s cries of judgement against those that claim to follow God that they are teaching hate and evil. The cave in and try to twist the scripture to be more in line with what the world teaches.

But against the word of the Lord, the truth of the Lord there is no defense, the lies of the false teachers are but vapors where the truth of the Lord is eternal.

So What?

A hard lesson but a lesson none the less. we must be warned, we must warn others, there are those out there that would twist the word of God and lead people astray and we must strive to read the word of God to see what is truth and how it should change our lives. what we take from this is the fact that

there are false teachers that twist the truth of the scriptures and lead people astray.

They exploit with their greed, their teaching is usually all about selfishness and what God can do for you. We must know that there are teachers out there that twist the truth of God and we need to watch out for their false teaching.

There is condemnation promised to those that lead people away from the one true God

The sad thing, the thing we do not like to talk about but try and hide is that there are consequences of leading people away from God. We need to know that salvation is offered to all, the invitation is out there and God wont turn any away that want to give their lives to Him. The problem is they don't. Condemnation is what we all deserve the fact that eternal life is offered to any of us is a miracle we do no deserve. This being said what we are all about is telling people about the invitation they have for eternal life. It leaves us with a job to do.

only the word of God is eternal

against the word of God there is no defense. It is eternal and will never pass away. God offers living water, a life that fulfills, offers peace and joy beyond the understanding of man. The things false teachers teach goes away, it is an empty well. Watch out for teachers of the bible whose teachings start more and more to resemble the world, for fear of what people will think of Him.

Jesus is the truth, look to Him. The word of God is the truth, read it as a whole book. Beware those that would lead you away from God, but trust in Jesus for eternal life.