Beware of False Teachers

Intro

As a baseball fan, one of the only things I enjoy watching as much as the Blue Jays winning is the Yankees losing

Talk about them choking away the WS with unforced errors

There is a big difference between being beat by a superior team and beating yourself

Peter wrote 2 letters that make up part of our Bibles

The first letter = focused on persecution and trials from the outisde that threatened the church

The second letter = focused on self-inflicted wounds; false teachers that came from within the church

Markus did a great job last week, where Peter starts pushing back against false teaching by reminding his readers of where TRUTH and AUTHORITY really come from

One of the main takeaways = “Have confidence in the witness of the apostles and the prophetic word”

This “prophetic word” refers to the OT, and Peter states that it comes - not from man - but from God, through men, carried by the Holy Spirit

So it is the OT that Peter is talking about when we pick up his teaching in chapter 2

Read 2 Peter 2:1-3; 10b-16 and pray.

False Teachers:

Characteristics:

Teach destructive heresies (v. 1)

These heresies were simply beliefs and practices about Jesus and Christianity that were untrue

Where the “prophetic word” was trustworthy and true, these “heresies” were the exact opposite

This is because the source of the claims and belief was the opposite

Prophetic word = From God, by the Holy Spirit, reinforced by the witness of the apostles

Heresies = man-made claims, from human interpretation alone

These heresies were destructive

Harmful to people’s relationship to Jesus

To misunderstand (or deny) someone’s character will ALWAYS destroy relationship

Harmful to the church as a whole

Wrong beliefs also divided the church (who was following who)

Of course, these heresies were brought in “secretly”

This is how it works! No one comes forward with a neon sign that reads, “Follow me for the latest heresy!”

These lies masquerade as truths; they are plausible; they are appealing; they can be justified

Even denying the Master who bought them! (v. 1)

“Bold and willful” in v. 10 = no respect for authority

Could have been a claim that Jesus wasn’t the Son of God, or the Messiah, or the one and only saviour

Was more likely a subtle undermining of Jesus’ authority through a way of living:

I will do what I want, when I want: Jesus is not my Master

Cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

Jesus laid down His life to save you (bought with a price)

Our lives should be lived in response and submission to this sacrifice

Persuasive (v. 3; 14)

You can’t believe someone just because they are persuasive, and don’t be skeptical just because somene is persuasive (like Peter in this letter)

The question becomes: What are you being persuaded into?

Is it something true, or something different?

Refer to some of the peer pressure that students face on the daily

Motivations:

Sensuality (v. 2; 10; 13; 14)

Greek word = self-abandonment

Opposite of self control (listed as a confirming quality by Peter in chpt. 1)

Describes the giving in to all sorts of desires in excess (often sex, food and drink)

Re-read description in 2 Peter 2:13-14.

Revel in the daytime = drunk in the morning

Eyes full of adultery = look upon others with lust

Insatiable for sin = always giving in, but never fulfilled or satisfied

The desire to live with selfish abandonment drove people to fit these desire into their theology

Which led to dangerous heresies, motivated by sensuality

Greed (v. 3; 14)

Literally “covetousness;” it’s an age old motivation

They sway others so that they can live how they want, and they can get what they want

Power, authority, but also financial gain

Good thing this doesn’t happen anymore… right?

Refer to Jesse Duplantis wanting people to buy him a fourth plane

Effects:

Lead Christians astray (v. 2; 15)

Because they are persuasive and bringing a message people WANT to hear, people will follow them

This is tragic, because it takes people off of the narrow path that leads to life and puts them on the broad path that leads to destruction

Cf. Matthew 7:13-14.

Narrow gate = way of life = hard; (self control instead of self abandonment)

Wide gate = way of destruction = easy (self abandonment instead of self control)

Keep others from the truth (v. 2)

“The way of truth will be blasphemed” = heresies misrepresent what true Christianity is really about, and shuts the door on those seeking the truth

Refer to our discussion in FG, where people reject Christianity because of legalism

These things become obstacles for others to receive the gospel

Inherit destruction and judgment (v. 1; 3; 9; 12)

Read 2 Peter 2:4-10.

Peter uses these stories to prove 2 points:

God knows how to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment (i.e., fallen angels, ancient world, Sodom and Gomorrah)

The overarching warning of this passage is that the false teachers (and those that follow) are leading themselves down a path of destruction

God knows how to rescue the godly from trials (i.e., Noah and Lot)

Trials in this case = temptation to follow the unrighteous (false teachers)

Which leads us to the first point in how we can respond...

Our Response:

Resist the temptation to live and teach this way

Before we heed warnings about other people, we need to look in the mirror

Are you driven by greed and resistant to authority? Do you tweak your beliefs about Jesus to suit the lifestyle you want to live?

And when you encounter teaching that pulls in this direction, make sure to acknowledge it for what it is: false

There are MANY preachers and teachers who can make a good living on telling people what they WANT to hear

If you are listening to a sermon, or a podcast, or a Bible study, and the message starts to raise red flags based on the criteria we just learned… bail out!

Be courageous enough to embrace inconvienent truths that come from trustworthy sources

Last point here: this is my own personal takeaway

I need to be able to look at this list and ensure that I am not falling into these traps

Have a short heart-to-heart about not teaching for greed or personal gain; accountable to core values of SBF

Discern the truth in the teaching you listen to

We discern the truth by leaning on the Holy Spirit

Cf. John 16:13.

Prayerfullly listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit

More than just feelings, rely on the Bible (inspired by the Holy Spirit)

Scripture is our north star for discernment; hold up all teaching to God’s Word

We also discern the truth by looking at the fruit of the teaching (and teacher)

Cf. Matthew 7:15-20.

Fruit = evidence of God at work in someone’s life and ministry

What fruit do you see in the life of the teacher?

People hold someone in respect, treat their wife and kids, God bringing people closer to him, etc.

You may disagree with me on a point of biblical interpretation, but can you trust that I am being led by the Holy Spirit based on my life and the life of the church?

This is where listening to so many voices from across the world falls short:

Discernment is done in relationship; we miss that on livestreams, podcasts, tv shows, RightNow media, etc.

That doesn’t mean we can’t use those resources, or listen to those teachers, but we are missing a crucial (personal) element of discernment

Be firmly founded and growing in your faith

Who is it that is swayed by the false teachers? “They entice unsteady souls” (v. 14)

Unsteady = unstable, weak = the opposite of “steadfastness” (confirming quality)

Obviously, it is easiest to push over an object whose foundation is compromised

Talk about my kids being able to knock me over if I’m not ready

Therefore, our best bet is to be firmly rooted and growing in our relationship with Jesus

Jesus Himself lets us know what this looks like:

Cf. Matthew 7:24-27.

Hear the words of Jesus = stay rooted in Scripture

Do the words of Jesus = live a life of obedience and positive action (fruit)

When you live this way, you will not be easily swayed away from the truth

Pray