2 Peter 2:1-3

Introduction

~opening illustration~

Raising a need

Our world is very material driven. Meaning, we find comfort in the things we have or can obtain. We understand money can help provide those things that we desire or we feel will help make our lives a little better. What is that we ultimately desire? comfort.

There are a ton of these self-help gurus out there making millions on telling you how to better your life. Most of these gurus are not Christians, so they legitimately believe, based on their non-theistic perspective that they have the answer to our problems. There are tons of Christians out there who take the advice of these “experts”. And its not that there isn’t truth in what these people are trying to sell, it’s the fact that it is still based in a human interpretation of what life should look like.

The scarier part is this. That there are these so called “experts” selling you on what it means to live a Christian life. They call themselves teachers, prophets, apostles, and more frequently preachers. They stand in your pulpits and offer you answers to what you can do to improve your situation. The issue? Its who they offer as the source to improving your situation. It’s “where” they derived their inspiration from. It’s how the developed their understanding of truth.

These people are in churches all over the world, but they are thriving in America. They often have massive gatherings, thousands of people in attendance. That’s thousands of people being misled about who is the ultimate authority. They’re being sold on comfort.

Transition To Text

In the apostles day was no different than our own, we see Peter and Paul dealing with this dilemma in their epistles to the church. What is that dilemma? False Teachers.

In 2 Peter 2: 1-3 we read of Peter urging his hearers to be on guard against false teachers. This is issue is as old as time, from false prophets in the Old Testament to the false teachers in the New Testament and up to today.

But the real issue is not so much that there is false teachers, but how do we know we are listening to one or not? Is it how I feel from their words? Is it because somebody I know and trust recommended them?

MIT: Peter addresses what this false teaching accomplishes in the church and ultimately what will happen to you and I if we are not on guard.

MIM: what we should take away from this message is the ability to identify false teachers through their self-centered approach to Christianity. They remove Jesus and focus on earthly things as a means to being a “good Christian”.

Interrogative: Do you feel confident that you could identify false teaching? I’ll test you today!

Transition: In our text we’re going to first see how they introduce false teaching, what it looks like, and its result for those who follow it.

Purpose: Because if we are not equipping ourselves, daily, against the lies perpetrated by these false teachers, we will most certainly not be of any use to God’s kingdom, and we could potentially face the same outcome that will befall these false teachers.

Context

In chapter one of 2 Peter, Peter is addressing displaced Christians. He’s setting the ground work for what will be his defense against the claims of these false teachers, how to identify them, and what will happen to them and those who follow in their instruction.

Peter is adamant to remind them, to stir them up as he says in chapter 1 verses 12 and 13 of the truth they already know as a means to guard themselves.

Peter speaks of 8 qualities a believer of the truth possesses, that is, diligence, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love.”

In, verse 8 He says “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And in verse 9 he says “For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.”

This sets up his defense against these false teachers who are accusing him along with the other apostles that their message is not God-inspired.

In Verse 16-19, Peter provides a defense against the false teachers who were questioning or even denying the legitimacy of the O.T. prophets. He’s explaining that his own eyewitness to the glorification of Christ is proof that his message is the real message.

And Peter caps it off with a hard and proficient blow to what separates a true teacher from a false teacher, 2 Peter 1:20–21 “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

The prophets (and Peter) did not write thoughts that they cooked up out of their own minds, but they passed on truth that came directly from God.

But this isn’t the case for the false teachers.

If you would, please open your Bibles to 2 Peter 2:1–3 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

Prayer: Father we thank you and praise for the work of your Spirit in us. To guide us and help to understand your truth and to guard us against those who twist it. Lord, we ask that you would again help and guide us this morning. Clear our hearts, our minds to be receptive to your Word, and to help lead us to understand the truth of your Word. It is in Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

1. The How - 2 Peter 2:1

Peter just clarified why the words he and other apostles spoke to them were true. They’re eyewitnesses. It’s not who was speaking it, but who it originated from. He says “But false prophets also arose among the people just as there will also be false teachers among you.”

False teaching, also known as heresies, will always run contrary to what Christ and the apostles laid down as foundational doctrine.

False teaching is not new, it’s been around from the beginning. Just look at Genesis 3:1-5. Adam and Eve received the Word directly from God Himself, yet the serpent was still able to deceive them. It’s says “the serpent was more crafty than any beast.”

To be crafty means to create something different out of something preexistent. It has to be manipulated in order to take shape in a different manner. There’s evidence of the true object, but it’s been distorted to become something else.

The same happens with truth. False teachers will use pieces of truth as the basis for their lie.

When I was in the Army, my job was Psychological Operations. In short, my job was “behavioral modification”. They taught us in the school house, that our messaging has to be based in truth. Sounds noble, right? However, in a world that promotes my truth, your truth, their truth, who is to say what truth I’m building on? Fortunately for me, I knew the Lord for a majority of my time in Psyop. But I just needed an inkling of truth in order to get the wheels moving on a behavior. It didn’t have to be a whole truth, just a part, enough to give credence to what I was messaging. The target audience would follow.

That segways into the next part, it says “Who will secretly introduce destructive heresies.”

This is were the inkling of truth is twisted to meet a self-centered desire of the false teacher. It sounds Christians, maybe even looks Christians. But It’s not about Christ, it’s not derived from His Word. They will make the gospel about you. About your own ability and power. They will steer you from God and His sovereignty over all and make it about what you can control.

There’s teachers like this everywhere, but I’ll just call out one this morning. Joel Osteen. Heard of him? Lets see what Joel has to say: These are just book titles:

1. Become a better you, I mean it sounds good.

2. You can, You will - Just buckle down and work hard

3. You are stronger than you think - I don’t need no help!

4. Think better, live better - I wish my circumstances would improve

My favorite, 5. Your best life now

You surely can live your best life now, he’s not lying about that. What he doesn’t tell you is about the life that come’s after this one.

What is the common theme in all these books? you, you, you. It’s all about what you can do.

False teachers will keep the focus on you and maybe sprinkle a little Jesus at the end to make you think it is Christian oriented.

This is what says right here in verse one, “Even denying the Master who bought them.”

I didn’t go on the cross, Jesus did! I didn’t rise from the dead, Jesus did! I didn’t sacrifice myself for the salvation of the world, Jesus did!

What did I do? NOTHING! I didn’t earn a thing. I didn’t work my way into salvation. I don’t want a better me, I want Jesus to live through me. I surely can’t save myself, that’s why Christ had to do what He did. I’m not strong, it is in my weakness that He is stronger. I can’t think better, that’s why I need His Spirit to guide me. And my best life isn’t now, it’s to come.

At the end of verse 1 it says these false teachers will bring “swift destruction upon themselves.”

2 Peter 2:4–10 says “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.”

We might ask why does God allow them to continue? We could conjure up several answers I suppose, but ultimately it fits in God’s plan. I perspective is miniscule compared to His. We trust God, however, in the end, for He is just.

2. What it looks like - 2 Peter 2:2

Verse two says, “Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned.”

The word “sensuality” here often refers to sexual sin. Knowing how sexual sin is so prevalent in society throughout the world, the word offers the strongest understanding of man’s desire for the world and not God. And when we are not based in God’s truth, we are easily enticed and led away by the world.

We just seen Joel Osteen as an example. Lets take it little deeper look on how what might seem as encouraging advice either aligns or not, with Scripture.

Become a better you

What did you look like before knowing Christ?

Romans 3:10–18 “as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; “Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And the path of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.””

You see, before Christ we were doomed, God-haters, lovers of man and not of God. On a one-way track to hell.

In an interview regarding this book, Joel said, “it’s just real practical stuff...Not some big fancy doctrine...Just keeping it simple.”

You see, we wanted nothing to do with Christ before He called us. There is no better you without Christ. The better you comes in glory, IF, you follow Christ.

Lets take a look at another one.

2. You are stronger than you think.

What have you accomplished in your own power that has eternal value?

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

You know, serving 22 years in the Army has offered up plenty of examples of people, to include myself, of instances where someone has talked a big game until it was time to deliver. But that’s what courage is right, doing things you are scared to do. Army stuff became status quo for me. It’s when I started teaching God’s Word that I became really nervous. I felt God leading in that direction, but when you read James 3:1 “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” It really made me realize I’m not as strong as I thought. I didn’t want to screw up, meaning, I didn’t want to be responsible for misleading anyone. For someone who thrived with responsibility in the Army, I wasn’t too sure I wanted this responsibility. But it was through reliance on the Lord, not my own ability that I am able to even stand before you today. I’m not strong enough, but Christ who is in me and in you is capable of doing far more than any of us are capable. When we submit to His will, we are then stronger, not our strength, but His.

Ok, one more for good measure.

3. Your best life now.

How’s that working out for you? Do you feel you are living your best life now? If so, I would bet your relationship with Jesus at a minimum is a little stagnant.

What’s Jesus teach us about how life will be, still here on this earth, while we follow Him?

He tells us that we will suffer.

James 1:2–3 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

2 Corinthians 4:17 “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,”

Philippians 1:29 “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,”

We can consider our trials as joys for the sake of the Lord, it’s knowing that our work has value towards that ultimate coming of His kingdom.

Revelation 21:3–4 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.””

That sounds like our best life. It’s yet to come.

The truth is maligned when we try to adapt Scripture to our lifestyle or culture, instead of adapting our lifestyle or culture to Scripture. There is an authoritative hierarchy, this is what Peter was addressing back in chapter 1, verses 20 and 21. Where are we deriving the truth from? What is our authority for what we believe?

So, what motivates them if not Christ, what is the fallout?

The Fallout - 2 Peter 2:3

Verse three says, “and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

Simply, they’re motivated by material gains and earthly power and they gain it at your expense.